By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, January 18, 2025
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka stomped 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 scoring her 18th straight AO match win and 24th consecutive set win in Melbourne Park.
Photo credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty
Disarming power is one of Aryna Sabalenka’s damaging resources.
Adaptability is one of the top seed’s most underrated assets.
More: AO Week One in Review
Melbourne famously hosts four seasons in a day—and Sabalenka is a Melbourne Park master for all conditions.
On the hottest day of this Australian open fortnight, Sabalenka schooled talented teenager Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in a 62-minute thrashing on Rod Laver Arena.
The woman wearing the tiger tattoo in her forearm—tiger-striped shoelaces and mini tigers leaping from the heels of her Nikes—roared to her 18th consecutive Australian Open victory reaching her third consecutive AO quarterfinal.
“It’s always tough against Mirra,” said Sabalenka, who beat Andreeva for the second time this month in straight sets. “She’s so young, but so mature and playing such great tennis.
“It’s always tough battles against her and I’m super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets.”
Continuing to bring her best in majors—and trying to retain her world No. 1 ranking—Sabalenka advanced to her ninth straight Grand Slam quarterfinal.
World No. 1 Sabalenka will ride a 24-set AO winning streak into a quarterfinal clash against either former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Wimbledon semifinalist Donna Vekic.
This match was a rematch of the 2024 Roland Garros quarterfinals. OnParis’ red clay, Andreeva upset Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, snapping the Belarusian’s 23-set major winning streak to reach her maiden major semifinal.
In her first major as a top seed, Sabalenka shifted the gears of her game to deliver her most dynamic match of the tournament today.
On one of the hottest days of the tournament, the court was lively and Sabalenka was launching missiles.
“I’m getting older and not sure if [the heat is] actually good for me,” Sabalenka said. “Previous days was such tough conditions the ball was so heavy you really had to swing hard.
“Today I came out just trying to put the ball back and the ball was flying like a rocket. I’m super happy with the level today and I hope the conditions help me and I hope it’s gonna be the same for the rest of the tournament and I hope it will help me the same way.”
Centering the ball in the early stages, Sabalenka shrewdly sometimes played her backhand into Andreeva’s right hip coaxing rushed forehands.
The top seed drew three forehand errors to rattle out the opening break for a 3-1 lead.
If you’ve watched Sabalenka capture successive AO titles, you know all about her disarming power. The Belarusian blaster showed fine finesse lifting an outrageous short-angled backhand winner that helped her hold for 4-1.
Pushing the teenager back behind the baseline with her crackling pace, Sabalenka pulled the string on a slick drop shot winner—freezing Andreeva in the process—breaking again for 5-1.
On set point, Sabalenka bunted her worst drop shot of the day—but held the line and hammered a two-handed pass down the line wrapping a dominant 24-minute set with a bang.
It was Sabalenka’s 23rd consecutive set won in Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka won 15 of 18 points played on her serve in the opener and reeled off five straight games to stake that one-set lead. The Belarusian had won 20 of her last 21 major matches when winning the opening set—the lone loss coming to Andreeva in that French Open quarterfinal last summer.
A steamrolling Sabalenka was smacking her forehand with more control than she showed in her third-round win over Clara Tauson. An Andreeva ace was erased by a foot fault call and she proceeded to double fault. Sabalenka slammed through her third break for 2-1.
Credit Andreeva for fighting off three break points and holding in the fifth game. The Roland Garros semifinalist pressured the top seed earning three break points in the sixth game.
Sabalenka swatted an ace and answered a dropper with her own angled touch forehand to master a hard-fought hold for 4-2.
That was really Andreeva’s last threat. Drained by three-set battles in her prior two matches, the 14th-seeded Andreeva lacked the leg strength and emotional intensity to pose a serious challenge.
A scorching Sabalenka streaked through 10 of the final 12 points, improving to 9-0 in 2025 and 4-1 against Andreeva.
"Of course, there's the pressure. It doesn't matter if you are No. 1, No. 2, or No. 10," Sabalenka said. "There is always the pressure. I think it's all about focusing on yourself, having fun outside of the court, take it easy outside of the court, because there is enough pressure on the court.
"I think it's all about the balance. You have to do stuff which brings you joy in life. Also, you have to go out there, and you have to compete and fight. Once again, it's all about balancing these two things."