MELBOURNE: Top seed Aryna Sabalenka set up a potential third-round showdown with Emma Raducanu at the Australian Open after a straight-sets win Wednesday over Chinese qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan.
The world number one saw off the awkward Bai 6-3, 6-1, having threatened at one stage to complete the job in even more express fashion.
Britain’s 2021 US Open champion Raducanu plays Russia-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova later Wednesday at Melbourne Park, with Sabalenka lying ominously in wait.
Sabalenka is favorite to win a third Australian Open in four years, having been defeated in the final 12 months ago by Madison Keys.
“Tricky opponent,” said the Belarusian.
“Super-happy to close the (first) set, it gives me confidence that my game is there, my focus is there.
“Step by step. Super-happy with my win. There is always a little gap to improve.”
Sabalenka won the first nine points in a row to surge into a 2-0 lead at Rod Laver Arena against her outclassed opponent ranked 702 in the world.
After just eight minutes it was 3-0, then 5-0, with Sabalenka seemingly intent on getting the job done in time for an early lunch.
But the 23-year-old Bai, playing the biggest match of her life, worked through her nerves and finally held serve.
She then stunned center court by breaking Sabalenka’s serve to reduce the deficit to 5-2, and doggedly held her own serve for 5-3.
The 27-year-old US Open champion Sabalenka was beginning to show signs of frustration as she saw numerous set points come and go.
She finally got the job done after 39 minutes on her seventh chance, slamming a ball she was holding in her hand down on the court in a flash of anger.
The second set was more serene, Sabalenka’s superior power taking its toll as she sealed the match in 72 minutes.
Sabalenka sets up potential Raducanu showdown at Australian Open
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Sabalenka sets up potential Raducanu showdown at Australian Open
- Sabalenka is favorite to win a third Australian Open in four years, having been defeated in the final 12 months ago by Madison Keys
Spain will host 2030 World Cup final, says RFEF president
- Louzan did not say whether the match would be played at Santiago Bernabeu or Camp Nou
- Once completed in late 2028, the new stadium in Morocco is expected to hold 115,000 spectators
MADRID: Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President Rafael Louzan has said that Spain will stage the final of the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Morocco wants to stage the game in Casablanca at the Grand Stade Hassan II, a huge stadium currently under construction north of the city.
“Spain has proven its organizational capacity over many years. It will be the leader of the 2030 World Cup and the final of that World Cup will be held here,” Louzan said late on Monday at an event organized by the Madrid Sports Press Association.
Louzan did not say whether the match would be played at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu or Barcelona’s Camp Nou, the two leading candidates.
Once completed in late 2028, the new stadium in Morocco is expected to hold 115,000 spectators. Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF) President Faouzi Lekjaa last year expressed his wish to see a final against Spain in Casablanca.
Louzan also alluded to the challenges Morocco faced during its hosting of the last Africa Cup of Nations, including the chaotic scenes during the final between Senegal and Morocco this month.
That match, which Senegal won 1-0, was overshadowed by fan disruptions and player protests that temporarily halted play.
“Morocco is really undergoing a transformation in every sense, with magnificent stadiums,” Louzan said. “We must recognize what has been done well. But in the Africa Cup of Nations, we have seen scenes that damage the image of world football.”
FIFA and the Portuguese and Moroccan football federations have not responded to requests for comment on the final’s location.
FIFA told Reuters last year it was premature to decide the venue for the 2030 final, saying the host city for the 2026 World Cup final was revealed only two years before the tournament. World soccer’s ruling body has the final say on where the match will be played.
