World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka put on a show at the World Tennis League, powering her team The Hawks to their first victory of 2024.
After coming up short in their opening match, The Hawks bounced back with a dominant 21-14 win over The Eagles, largely thanks to Sabalenka’s stellar performance.
The Belarusian star kicked things off in style, teaming up with teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva in women’s doubles. They crushed the powerhouse duo of Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa 6-1.
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But Sabalenka wasn’t done yet.
She followed up with an impressive 6-2 win over her good friend Badosa in singles. The Eagles’ decision to play Badosa instead of world-class Swiatek didn’t pay off on the indoor hard courts.
Those two commanding victories put The Hawks up 12-3, giving them a cushion they wouldn’t surrender.
Jordan Thompson and Sumit Nagal added to the lead, taking down Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Shevchenko 6-4 in men’s doubles. That pushed the score to a commanding 18-7 heading into the final match.
The Eagles needed something special in the last singles match. Shevchenko gave it his best shot, beating Nagal 6-2 and winning the first game of overtime. But the mountain was too high to climb – he needed seven straight games just to force a tiebreak.
Nagal held his nerve, winning a crucial game to seal the deal at 21-14.
It’s been quite a start to 2024 for Sabalenka, who’s showing why she’s the top-ranked player in women’s tennis. Her doubles chemistry with 16-year-old Andreeva looks pretty promising too.
The Hawks will look to keep their momentum going as the tournament continues, while The Eagles will try to bounce back from their second straight loss.
