Melbourne, Jan 23 (IANS) World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka battled her way into the fourth round of Australian Open 2026 after surviving her biggest test at Melbourne Park, overcoming Anastasia Potapova 7-6(4), 7-6(7) at Rod Laver Arenaon Friday.

The four-time major champion, who hasn’t lost a Grand Slam third round match since Roland Garros 2022, was stretched in Friday’s two-hour, two-minute bout, her longest outing at AO 2026 so far.

Sabalenka found herself reeled in from a 7-6(4), 4-0 lead — and eventually, saved four set points in the second-set tiebreak to wrap up the win.

“She played incredible tennis. I was always on the back foot, and to be honest, there are days where you just have to be there, to fight and try your best to put the ball back. Even though emotionally I was all over the place, I was able to still fight for every point… and I’m just super happy that I was able to get this win. It was such a fight and I really enjoyed it, Sabalenka said in her in court interview.

Potapova was eyeing to be the first Austrian to reach the fourth round at Melbourne Park since Barbara Schett in 2000.

Sabalenka, who clinched the 22nd title of her career at this month’s Brisbane International, is hoping to build upon the eight-match winning streak that she’s on in 2026.

She has now made the fourth-round or better at the last 13 Grand Slam events she has contested dating back to a third-round loss at Roland Garros in 2022.

In the fourth round, the 27-year-old Sabalenka meets her first seeded opponent at this year Australian Open in the form of Canada’s Victoria Mboko, who she has never faced.

In her Australian Open debut, the 17th seed Mboko was made to work for her 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-3 win over 14th seed Clara Tauson.

After edging out an opening set tiebreak after being ahead by a break of serve twice, Mboko came from an early break down to build a 7-6(5), 5-3 lead.

But Tauson found her best tennis in the next games when serving down 5-4. Five games in a row went to the Dane to not just earn her the second set, but an early break in the third.

Mboko then broke back immediately and hammered back-to-back backhand winners to clinch the match from 30-30 in the final game.

–IANS

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