Sabalenka Eases Pressure On Herself To Beat Keys

Aryna Sabalenka has finally eased pressure on herself and regained her winning touch once again. The top seed cruised past Madison Keys to move into the quarterfinals of the China Open in Beijing. Sabalenka won in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, beating the American in one hour and five minutes. She extended her winning streak to 15 matches, now undefeated since the quarters of the Toronto Masters.

The three-time Grand Slam champion claimed that easing the pressure on herself successfully paid off. She previously had endured a difficult season following her Australian Open victory. The world number two admitted that she had thoughts that created all the pressure and frustration. But, that feeling was wiped away. “Nobody is going to die. You’re not going to die. It’s okay."

Photo byBen HersheyonUnsplash

New Mindset For Sabalenka To Face Pressure

The Belarusian Sabalenka had a difficult time in Roland Garros when she was beaten by the teenager Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals. She withdrew from Berlin and Wimbledon in the grass-court swing due to a shoulder injury. But she has enjoyed an incredible few months as she reached the Citi DC Open semifinal and the quarterfinals of the Canada Open before losing to American Amanda Anisimova.

The loss against Anisimova was the last time she tasted defeat. Moving forward, she won the Cincinnati Open and US Open and now has made it to the quarterfinals of the China Open. Sabalenka has promised herself to work hard and try to improve herself every day.

She no longer puts too much pressure on herself every time she is on the court. “If you give your best and you don’t win the match, okay. You learn and you try better next time,” she said. In the quarterfinals, Sabalenka will face Karolina Muchova who beat Spain’s Cristina Bucsa comprehensively 6-2, 6-0.

Inching Closer To Number One Spot

Sabalenka can close the gap at the top of the rankings with the absence of the world number one Iga Swiatek. She decided to sit out of the Beijing tournament due to personal reasons. Swiatek also pulled out of the Korea Open in Seoul citing fatigue. Thus, Sabalenka had a great opportunity to grab more points to reach the top.

The other side of the China Open draw has opened up favorably for Sabalenka. The number two seed Jessica Pegula, who Sabalenka beat in the US Open final, was knocked out by the Spaniard Paula Badosa. Meanwhile, former world number one Naomi Osaka was forced to retire in her match against Coco Gauff.

Another Test For Sabalenka

It seems like Sabalenka is regaining her top form. Her win over Madison Keys equals her best winning run. With her experience in dealing with pressure is doing wonders for her confidence and form. The quarterfinal match against Karolina Muchova will be the next test for Sabalenka.

Muchova has beaten her in their past two meetings in the semifinals at the French Open and Cincinnati Open last year. The 28-year-old Muchova has not lost to anyone ranked outside the Top 10 since the tour returned to hard courts this summer. Last month she cruised into the US Open semifinals, where she lost to Jessica Pegula.

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Article originally written by Tania Rompas