Aryna Sabalenka won against American McCartney Kessler from 5-2 down in the second set and saved four points.
Sabalenka won 6-1, 7-6 in one hour and 39 minutes. She also extended her record by winning her 21st consecutive Grand Slam tie-break and has already surpassed Novak Djokovic’s record of 19.
She has won six straight tie-breaks at the Championships and has won seven out of eight since her 2017 debut.
“I’m glad from the outside it looks like I’m really calm. Inside I’m like, OK, please get this point,” Sabalenka said.
“On a serious note, on the tie-break, I’m willing to focus point by point, not going really too far in the future or staying too much in the past. I think that’s been really working well. I trust my shots on the tie-break. I think that really makes a big difference.”
“Every point makes a difference, at the beginning especially. I feel like trusting my shots and staying aggressive on the tie-breaks really helps me to get these incredible stats.”
Kessler stuck to her job and got her first break point after 56 minutes to lead 4-2. Sabalenka served both points and broke back in with two backhands.
During the tie-break, Kessler saved two match points, and Sabalenka saved two more set points, the second at 7-8 with a deep backhand drive.
“That was a true battle and I am super happy that I was able to stay in that second set and to get into the tie-break,” Sabalenka said. “An incredible fight from her in the second set.
“I just kept telling myself to stay low and put the pressure back on her, and maybe you will be lucky enough to get this set. She played incredibly, and she really stepped in; she played super aggressive. It felt like whatever decision she would make, everything would work for her. That was really tough to handle, but I am glad to have powered through in that second set.”
Sabalenka will now face Jelena Ostapenko in the third round. The World No. 1 has reached the semi-finals in her last three appearances, but is yet to reach the finals.
