Clinical Sabalenka strides into Melbourne quarter-finals

Reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in dominant fashion on Sunday when she swept past American Amanda Anisimova with a clinical 6-3 6-2 victory on Margaret Court Arena.

The top remaining seed after Saturday's early exit for world number one Iga Swiatek, Sabalenka's biggest enemy has often been her own emotions but she continued to keep them strictly under control to reach the last eight with the loss of only 11 games.

The Belarusian was not distracted by her relegation to the second showcourt for the first time in the tournament, or by a couple of rain showers that interrupted the contest and forced the closure of the stadium's roof.

Anisimova, ranked 442nd in the world after an eight-month break from the game, had held a 4-1 lead in career meetings with Sabalenka but found the 2024 version of the 26-year-old a much tougher nut to crack.

In the opening set, the former French Open semi-finalist was unable to win a single point off Sabalenka's first serve, which on occasion was clocked at the 195 kph mark.

One break was enough for Sabalenka to win the opening set and another to start the second stanza killed off any hopes the American had of building pressure on her opponent.

Another break for 5-2 in the second set allowed Sabalenka to serve for the match and, although Anisimova finally managed to earn her first break point, the second seed was soon celebrating her spot in the last eight.

Sabalenka, who will next meet 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva or ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova, did not drop a set at last year's Australian Open until the final as she landed her maiden Grand Slam title.

Her opponent on Rod Laver Arena that day, Elena Rybakina, exited in the second round and Coco Gauff and Krejcikova are the only other top 10 seeds left in the field.

Fourth seed Coco Gauff was happy to avoid another Grand Slam "dogfight" as the American reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open for the first time with a 6-1 6-2 win over Pole Magdalena Frech on Sunday.

The U.S. Open champion, who has yet to drop a set at the Melbourne Park major this year, broke the unseeded Frech in the opening game at a chilly Rod Laver Arena and never let her settle into a rhythm.