SUMMARY
- Aryna Sabalenka lost the first match she played after the Australian Open title run.
- Donna Vekic staged a remarkable comeback, as Sabalenka blew her lead.
Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her season by winning the Australian Open emphatically. Unfortunately, the Belarusian lost the very first match she played since then. Croatian star Donna Vekic caused a major upset as she sent Sabalenka crashing out of the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships.
Sabalenka was in ominous form during the Australian swing, as she made it to the finals at the Brisbane International. Even though she lost to Elena Rybakina in the final, Sabalenka looked in good touch. She carried her form to Melbourne, where she successfully defended her title. Given her fiery start to the season, many expected Aryna to dominate in Dubai as well, but Vekic put an end to the Sabalenka juggernaut.
Aryna started well, as she claimed the first set 6-7(5), even though Vekic pushed it to a tiebreaker. She had a 2-0 lead over Donna, but the Croatian fought back hard. Vekic struck a sliced backhand passing winner that Sabalenka let go of, which launched her comeback. Following her victory, Vekic revealed she enjoyed that particular shot the most, joking that “I was on the beach already.”
Donna Vekic after coming back from 6-7, 0-2 to beat Aryna Sabalenka
“What pleased you most about the performance?”
Donna: “Probably the slice passing shot at break point down, 0-2 in the 2nd set. I was kind of on the beach already”😂 pic.twitter.com/DiUQJEsOLw
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 20, 2024
Even though the season is only in its second month, this defeat will hurt Aryna. She had the chance to close the gap between herself and Iga Swiatek, but she could not capitalize on it.
Donna’s win over her old foe, Aryna Sabalenka, will boost her morale for her upcoming match. As for Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion has already set her eyes on Indian Wells.
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Donna Vekic, match summary
Sabalenka and Vekic go a long way back, with the Croatian player dominating their matchups. Heading into this encounter, Donna led their head-to-head 5-2. Sabalenka defeated her at the Australian Open in 2023 and then went on to win the title in Melbourne.
In Dubai, though, Vekic proved once again to be a hurdle Aryna could not overcome. The first set was a tightly fought affair, and the Belarusian never looked comfortable.
Sabalenka blew her lead in the second set when the scoreline read 2-0. Vekic turned the tide in her favor, as she won the next three games on the trot. She was aggressive and broke Sabalenka when they were at 5-3, to close out the second set. The final set was a one-way affair, as Vekic bageled Aryna.
2 – With victory in Dubai, Donna Vekic is only the second player to claim a 6-0 third set vs a WTA top two-ranked player at a WTA 1000 event since the format’s introduction in 2009, after Serena Williams – Miami F 2013. Wow.#DDFTennis | @DDFTennis @DonnaVekic @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/ywOheHcDda
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) February 20, 2024
Vekic pressed her foot on the accelerator, amping up her aggression. She hit 30 winners against Sabalenka and only 21 unforced errors to make it to the next round. Vekic also became the second player to bagel a top two-ranked player at a WTA 1000 event after Serena Williams.
Aryna Sabalenka will hope to perform better in California, than she did in Dubai. The Indian Wells is set to begin on March 4, and Sabalenka will try to repeat her final run this year and win the title.
