Ten years after winning her first Aussie Open, Azarenka is the only champion left in the draw
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 16.01.23. | 11:04
The Belarus beats Kenin in battle of former Australian champions
Victoria Azarenka beat Sofia Kenin 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) Monday to become the only former Australian Open champion left in the women's draw.
Azarenka, the 24th seed from Belarus, won her titles at Melbourne Park in 2012 and 2013, while American Kenin prevailed to lift the champion's Daphne Akhurst Cup in 2020.
With 2022 champion Ash Barty and Serena Williams both retired, and 2019 and 2021 winner Naomi Osaka missing because of her pregnancy, it meant Kenin and Azarenka were the only two previous winners in the women's singles. But Kenin has faced a torrid time since her only Slam triumph with form deserting her as she endured a spate of injuries.
Her ranking has slid to 203 in the world and she was bidding for a first win over a top-25 opponent since beating then number 11 Petra Kvitova at Roland Garros in 2020.
Nevertheless, the veteran world number 24 Azarenka admitted she had been on edge before the encounter on Margaret Court Arena.
"It's high pressure and you wouldn't think I'd be nervous, but it means so much to me. I try to work through those emotions but they happen."
Azarenka will face either Leolia Jeanjean of France or Nadia Podoroska of Argentina in the second round.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Women's singles
Monday
Maria Camila Osorio (COL) bt Panna Udvardy (HUN) 6-4, 6-1
Cristina Bucsa (ESP) bt Eva Lys (GER) 2-6, 6-0, 6-2
Bianca Andreescu (CAN) bt Marie Bouzkova (CZE x25) 6-2, 6-4
KarolÃna Muchova (CZE) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 6-2, 6-1
Danielle Collins (USA x13) bt Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 7-5, 5-7, 6-4
Anna Bondar (HUN) bt Ana Bogdan (ROM) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x17) bt Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 6-4, 6-2
Zheng Qinwen (CHN x29) bt Dalma Galfi (HUN) 6-0, 6-2
Bernarda Pera (USA) bt Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
Emma Raducanu (GBR) bt Tamara Korpatsch (GER) 6-3, 6-2
Cori Gauff (USA x7) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-1, 6-4
Jessica Pegula (USA x3) bt Jaqueline Cristian (ROM) 6-0, 6-1
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE) 7-5, 6-2
Olivia Gadecki (AUS) bt Polina Kudermetova (RUS) 7-5, 6-1
Marta Kostyuk (UKR) bt Amanda Anisimova (USA x28) 6-3, 6-4
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE x20) bt Sara Bejlek (CZE) 6-3, 6-1
Clara Burel (FRA) bt Talia Gibson (AUS) 6-3, 6-4
Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 6-3, 6-1
Petra Kvitova (CZE x15) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x24) bt Sofia Kenin (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Diana Shnaider (RUS) bt Kristina Kucova (SVK) 7-6 (8/6), 7-5
Maria Sakkari (GRE x6) bt Yuan Yue (CHN) 6-1, 6-4
11.05: (1.07) Swiatek I. (6.80) Niemeier J. (1.12)
11.10: (1.33) Juvan K. (3.00) Janicijevic S. (1.42)
11.15: (1.65) Wang Xin. (2.11) Hunter S. (1.70)
13.05: (1.25) Keys M. (3.55) Blinkova A. (1.35)
Tuesday
03.05: (1.50) Fernandez L. (2.41) Cornet A. (1.60)
03.05: (1.35) Alexandrova E. (2.90) Bonaventure Y. (1.45)
03.05: (1.80) Giorgi C. (1.90) Pavlyuchenkova A. (1.80)
03.05: (1.40) Townsend T. (2.70) Parry D. (1.50)
03.05: (1.75) Muguruza G. (1.95) Mertens E. (1.75)
03.05: (1.10) Sabalenka A. (5.80) Martincova T. (1.15)
03.05: (1.12) Kanepi K. (5.30) Birrell K. (1.17)
03.05: (1.85) Trevisan M. (1.85) Schmiedlova A. (1.85)
03.05: (1.15) Rogers S. (4.70) Hartono A. (1.20)
04.20: (1.12) Garcia C. (5.30) Sebov K. (1.17)
04.20: (1.25) Pliskova Ka. (3.55) Wang Xiy. (1.35)
04.20: (1.22) Fruhvirtova L. (3.80) Fourlis J. (1.30)
04.20: (1.33) Volynets K. (3.00) Rodina E. (1.42)
05.05: (1.40) Davis L. (2.70) Kovinic D. (1.50)
05.05: (1.07) Kontaveit A. (6.80) Grabher J. (1.12)
05.05: (1.30) Vekic D. (3.20) Selekhmeteva O. (1.40)
06.20: (1.70) Cirstea S. (2.03) Putintseva Y. (1.72)
06.20: (1.95) Siegemund L. (1.75) Bronzetti L. (1.95)
06.20: (1.70) Martic P. (2.03) Golubic V. (1.72)
06.20: (1.17) Samsonova L. (4.40) Paolini J. (1.22)
07.05: (1.15) Kudermetova V. (4.70) Zanevska M. (1.20)
07.05: (1.22) Linette M. (3.80) Sherif M. (1.30)
07.05: (1.10) Zhang S. (5.80) Tig P. (1.15)
07.05: (1.55) Maria T. (2.29) Stefanini L. (1.65)
07.35: (1.60) Liu Cl. (2.19) Brengle M. (1.70)
***odds are subject to change
