Melbourne [Australia], January 23:  Two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka faced a stern challenge as she battled her way into the fourth round of the ongoing Australian Open in Melbourne with a 7-6(4), 7-6(7) victory against Anastasia Potapova on Friday. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff battled past fellow American Hailey Baptiste to reach the fourth round, rallying from a set down for a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory. Australian Open 2026: Defending Champion Madison Keys Advances to Round 3; Iga Swiatek Continues Bid for Maiden Title Down Under.

Sabalenka led 7-6(4), 4-0 before Potapova staged a comeback, but the top seed held firm, saving four set points in a tense second-set tiebreak to secure a 7-6(4), 7-6(7) victory as per the WTA website.

After the win, Sabalenka praised Potapova's game, saying she was under constant pressure throughout the match. She admitted that she was struggling emotionally, but was pleased with her resilience and happy to come out as a winner.

"She played incredible tennis. I was always on the back foot, and to be honest, there are days where you just have to be there, to fight and try your best to put the ball back. Even though emotionally I was all over the place, I was able to still fight for every point ... and I'm just super happy that I was able to get this win. It was such a fight and I really enjoyed it," the Belarusian tennis star said as quoted by the WTA website.  Australian Open 2026: Novak Djokovic Marches to Third Round With Win Over Francesco Maestrelli.

"I was just trying to calm myself down, which wasn't working well today, but at the same time, I was trying to figure out how to connect my body. It seemed like everything was working separate. My brain was somewhere else, my arms were going one direction ... and I was looking to put pressure on her, to try to let her play basically, and somehow, magically, I was able to get this win," Sabalenka added.

On the other hand, third-seed Coco Gauff defeated Hailey Baptiste 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in an all-American clash. After dropping the opening set, Gauff took control of the match with a dominant second set before closing out the contest. The win marked her 77th career Grand Slam victory and came in her 100th Grand Slam main-draw match. (ANI)

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