Tennis-Sabalenka moving past Australian Open heartbreak

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By Rory Carroll

INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) – Aryna Sabalenka said the grief she felt after falling short in her bid for a third successive Australian Open crown was subsiding following her second-round win at Indian Wells on Saturday.

The world number one smashed her racket and covered her face with a towel and sobbed after losing to American Madison Keys in the final at Melbourne Park in January.

The Belarusian suffered early exits at the Qatar Open and in Dubai since but was in full command of her formidable serve on Saturday, never facing a break point as she overpowered talented American McCartney Kessler in straight sets.

“I’d say that after the final in Australia I was really heartbroken,” she told reporters.

“It was very difficult to recover after that one, and Middle East I was kind of like, in my thoughts, I was trying to understand.

“I was always thinking about that match. It was probably my mistake, but I think I had to go through it, I had to realise couple of things.

“I had to step back and start everything over again. Right now, I’m definitely feeling better and that final was in the past.

“Just good experience, great lesson, and hopefully it will never happen again,” she added with a smile.

The three-time Grand Slam champion said Indian Wells, where she finished runner-up in 2023, is the perfect place to reset.

“Indian Wells feels like a Grand Slam,” she said.

“And back-to-back Indian Wells-Miami Open. I love this tournament. For me feels pretty big. Psychologically I think it’s not that tough.”

Sabalenka faces unseeded Italian Lucia Bronzetti in the third round on Monday.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Indian Wells; Editing by Christopher Cushing)