Azarenka into US Open last 16 for seventh time, defeats Martic

Victoria Azarenka won against Petra Martic 6-3, 6-0 on Saturday and will play the winner of the match between Czech Karolina Pliskova, the No 22 seed, and Swiss Belinda Bencic, the No 13 seed, in the next round

Sep 3, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Victoria Azarenka hits to Petra Martic of Croatia on day six of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. (AI/Reuters/Panoramic)

Tennis Majors

September 3, 2022

Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the No 26 seed, beat Croat Petra Martic 6-3, 6-0 to advance to the last 16 of the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on Saturday.

Azarenka – three times a runner-up in New York (2012, 2013, 2020) – had lost her only previous match against Martic. She levelled the head-to-head, though, to secure her round-of-16 place at Flushing Meadows for the seventh time.

“I thought that this was probably my most solid match this tournament,” Azarenka said afterwards. “I felt like I started very solid and I kept my foot on the gas pedal and just really kept raising my intensity, game after game.

“I felt that I played really good in also important moments. On breakpoints I really took my chances, was really effective from defense to offense, kind of changing and shifting the game from one, two shots. I think that worked really well.

“Also, I served smart. I felt like I created a lot of opportunities for myself to move forward. Missed a couple of volleys which I felt like maybe transcended from my mixed yesterday, but overall was pretty good.”

Azarenka, ranked No 26, will face the winner of the match between Czech Karolina Pliskova, the No 22 seed, and Swiss Belinda Bencic, the No 13 seed, next.