The 25-year-old, who won the first set in the tiebreak, completely collapsed afterwards, beaten in the end 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-0. It’s a failed comeback for Sabalenka, who had not played again since her coronation in Melbourne at the end of January against the Chinese Zheng Qinwen.
If this defeat is surprising, it is Donna Vekic who dominates the duel between the two players since she has now won six of the eight confrontations between them since 2016. Sabalenka beat the 27-year-old Croatian last year last in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, before being crowned for the first time in a Grand Slam.
