Sabalenka, Zverev and Habib shine on rain-hit first day at Australian Open – INA NEWS

Aryna Sabalenka has launched her bid for a 3rd successive Australian Open title with a 6-3 6-2 demolition of former US Open champion Sloane Stephens on a moist opening day of the principle spherical in Melbourne.

Regardless of the power-hitting present at Rod Laver Area on Sunday, Sabalenka was nowhere close to her peak as she was damaged twice by the American in a wayward first set, however she steadied with the assistance of her pulverising forehand to assert a fifteenth successive win at hardcourt Grand Slams.

The stand-out hardcourt participant within the ladies’s recreation, Sabalenka, stormed to a 4-0 lead over Stephens within the first set as followers have been nonetheless settling of their seats for day one’s first night match on centre court docket.

Although Stephens broke her twice to claw again to 4-3, Sabalenka regrouped to assert the set with robust internet play and customary aggression.

Sabalenka will play Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro for a spot within the third spherical in her bid to develop into the primary lady to drag off the Australian Open “threepeat” since Martina Hingis (1997-99).

In the meantime, males’s second seed Alexander Zverev barely wanted to get out of third gear because the German cruised previous Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-4 6-4 6-4.

Twice Grand Slam runner-up Zverev has made no secret of his ambition to carry a maiden main at Melbourne Park this yr and the 2024 semifinalist hit the bottom working.

Hady Habib flies Lebanese flag

Lebanon’s Hady Habib made historical past by changing into the primary participant from his nation to win a Grand Slam match when he beat China’s Bu Yunchaokete in entrance of a frenzied crowd out on Courtroom 13.

World quantity 219 Habib is the one Lebanese ever, man or lady, to come back via qualifying and attain the principle draw at one of many 4 majors.

The 26-year-old continued his fairytale run with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) victory, following which he draped himself within the Lebanon flag as he signed autographs.

“That is most likely among the best days of my profession truthfully,” mentioned Habib.

“It’s such an unbelievable feeling to get this win not just for myself however for Lebanon and Lebanese tennis.

“As you guys might see there, the gang was completely wild. It made it much more particular to win in entrance of them.”

Born in the US to a Lebanese father, Habib lived in Lebanon for a number of years from the age of six and has been representing the nation since he was 15 when he first performed within the Davis Cup.

His reward is a second-round match in opposition to France’s 14th seed Ugo Humbert.

“It’s an enormous win, particularly what we’ve been going via as a rustic,” mentioned Habib.

Rain, thunderstorm halt play

Earlier on the day of the principle spherical, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who misplaced to Sabalenka in final yr’s last, reached the second spherical indoors, whereas males’s sixth seed Casper Ruud and former world quantity 4 Kei Nishikori dodged the moist climate to safe five-set victories.

It was one other matter on the surface courts the place play ended after lower than an hour within the morning and didn’t resume till greater than six hours later within the early night.

Eight of the 32 scheduled singles matches have been scratched and organisers shall be giving thanks for the cushion of the additional day which was first added to the match final yr.

The lads’s draw noticed two longer matches with Norwegian Ruud advancing after a 6-3 1-6 7-5 2-6 6-1 victory over Jaume Munar and Japan’s Nishikori prevailing 4-6 6-7(4) 7-5 6-2 6-3 in opposition to Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro.