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| USA TODAY Sports |
History repeated itself as Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka pummeled France's Clara Burel 6-1 6-1 in the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday, ending the unseeded player's New York campaign in dominant fashion.
Sabalenka had swatted aside Burel in the third round a year ago and once again the Australian Open winner would not be denied as she fired off 22 winners in a brisk one-hour affair at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Sabalenka will next play 13th seed Daria Kasatkina, who beat Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen 6-3 6-4.
"I'm super happy with the performance today. I think I played really great tennis today," she told reporters.
The perennial major contender Sabalenka demoralised her opponent from the start, winning the first five straight games in the opening set, where she never faced a break point.
Burel showed some signs of life when she fended off a pair of break points in the opening game of the second set but Sabalenka quickly retook control.
A semi-finalist in New York the last two years, Sabalenka faced her only break point of the match in the sixth game of the second set but extinguished Burel's chances with a well-placed drop shot.
Burel thrust her racquet to the ground in frustration after sending a forehand shot out in the final game of the second set, before Sabalenka broke her serve for the match with a backhand winner.
Sabalenka said mental toughness was the key to surviving the two-week grind at the U.S. Open.
Looking to beat Kasatkina for the second time in less than three weeks, Sabalenka said: Always tricky matches against her. She's playing great tennis. Moving really well.
"I feel like I have to be focused and I don't have to overrush things against her. I just have to stay calm and just wait for the opportunity and take it."
- Amy Tennery
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