Sabalenka dominates, Keys cruises at Brisbane International

[ad_1] Final yr's Australian Open finalists Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka have each began their 2026 campaigns in the absolute best method with victories on the Brisbane Worldwide.

Defending Australian Open champion Keys earned a 6-4, 6-3 victory over McCarthy Kessler within the second spherical on Pat Rafter Enviornment.

In the meantime, Sabalenka laid down an superior marker with a brutal 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Cristina Bucșa within the very subsequent match.

"It is all the time a little bit nerve-wracking enjoying your first match of the yr," Keys mentioned on court docket after the win.

"I felt like I used to be attempting to knock a little bit little bit of the rust off, however general actually proud of how right this moment went."

Making predictions primarily based on simply two units of tennis is never advisable, however at occasions Keys seemed impressively slick in her victory.

And regardless of a disappointing finish to the 2025 season that noticed her lose eight of her 17 matches since a quarter-final run at Roland Garros, together with a first-round exit on the US Open, Keys seems to be prone to be a menace in Melbourne Park.

The world quantity seven got here out the blocks strongly, hitting clear, crisp winners with a businesslike depth from behind the baseline.

Her heavy groundstrokes earned her an early break however the first set ended up proving to be removed from plain crusing.

A mix of Keys's personal ring rust and a few ingenious, engaging tennis from Kessler turned the competition right into a severe battle.

McCartney Kessler performed a valiant all-court sport, however couldn't stick with Madison Keys. ( Getty Photos: Albert Perez )

Keys had by no means confronted fellow American Kessler, the world quantity 31, in a match on the WTA tour.

However the 26-year-old from Georgia would have made an enduring impression with a formidable response to being damaged early.

"She's such a fantastic competitor so I knew it was going to be a fantastic match," Keys mentioned.

The 26-year-old attacked together with her punchy two-handed backhand from the baseline and examined Keys scrambling within the humid circumstances.

Keys was damaged within the seventh sport and needed to stave off two break factors within the ninth as Kessler fought again.

However each time Kessler's serve was within the slot, Keys crushed it for a dominant winner and ended up changing a fifth break level to say the primary set.

Madison Keys mentioned she had labored on beginning her factors stronger within the offseason. ( Getty Photos: Albert Perez )

"I really feel like [Brisbane is] a kind of locations the place you need to have your foot on the fuel and attempt to be dictating, as a result of it is actually laborious to get your self again in factors right here in the event you're on the defence," Keys mentioned.

"I felt like on the finish of the yr, I wasn't beginning the factors fairly as I needed to ... so I've actually tried to shift my mentality and be sure that I am attempting to be the one which's on my entrance foot and dictating factors, and I feel that massively comes from the primary two balls."

The second set began in the identical vein as the primary, as Keys was once more examined by Kessler's motion up and down the court docket.

Each girls earned early break factors that neither might convert, earlier than Keys' energy instructed, breaking Kessler twice on her strategy to a snug victory in an hour and 26 minutes.

"It feels wonderful coming again to Australia," Keys, who additionally gained the Adelaide Worldwide final season, mentioned.

"Clearly final yr was a dream come true and one thing that I am going to keep in mind as considered one of my profession moments.

"I'd clearly love a repeat of final yr however that is asking for lots in the event you're asking to go away the nation undefeated.

"That is all the time the aim however up to now so good."

<h2 class="Typography_base__sj2RP Heading_heading__VGa5B future_heading__Gcudw Heading_default__Z3p_p Typography_sizeMobile20__NUDn4 Typography_sizeDesktop32__LR_G6 Typography_lineHeightMobile24__crkfh Typography_lineHeightDesktop40__BuoRf Typography_marginBottomMobileSmall__6wx7m Typography_marginBottomDesktopSmall__CboX4 Typography_bold__FqafP Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx Typography_normalise__u5o1s" data-component="Heading">Sabalenka destroys world quantity 50 in superior show Aryna Sabalenka handled her second spherical opponent with utter contempt. ( Getty Photos: Albert Perez )

Up to now so good for Keys, however the type of the lady she denied a hat-trick of victories at Melbourne Park final yr, world primary Sabalenka, seems a severe impediment to Keys going back-to-back.

Sabalenka's 48-minute destruction of 50-ranked Romanian Cristina Bucsa was as spectacular to witness because it was probably shattering to be on the tip of.

The marginally-built Romanian was completely blown away, wilting within the presence of Sabalenka's brilliance.

If the match was occurring within the faculty playground you'd have needed a trainer to cease it to keep away from allegations of bullying.

Nevertheless it wasn't.

This was the world primary in opposition to the world quantity 50 — hardly a mismatch on paper however nonetheless discarded in a method that felt desperately ominous to the remainder of the sphere.

"I wasn't specializing in warning anybody for the season," Sabalenka mentioned with a smile.

"I used to be simply attempting to indicate my stage. I did it properly, and if somebody obtained scared due to that, I will be comfortable to see gamers giving up, however that is not going to occur, sadly.

"However [I'm] simply tremendous proud of the extent I used to be capable of present right this moment."

There are few gamers who can match the athleticism and energy of Sabalenka, however her competitiveness is on one other stage too.

Bucsa solely gained 22 factors in the whole match, a handful from Sabalenka's personal errors.

However these unforced errors had been all handled as virtually a private affront by Sabalenka, livid to present her opponent a sniff of success in opposition to her.

"I've been on tour for fairly a bit and I am fairly skilled participant, and I've seen lots of issues occur," Sabalenka mentioned on how she maintained her depth even in such a walkover win.

"Even in the event you lead simply and simply lose the momentum, give some straightforward photographs [away], issues can flip round.

"That is why, all through the years, I discovered the right way to keep targeted and ignore the scoreline and simply deal with the issues that I've to do on court docket.

"Getting annoyed ... I feel that is a fantastic mentality to have, however it additionally will be in opposition to you in the event you go an excessive amount of and ignoring that the rating is sort of good for you.

"So you possibly can chill out generally. However in the event you can stability these two issues, I feel it is a fantastic mentality to have."

Keys, the seventh seed and Sabalenka, the primary, are scheduled to satisfy within the quarter-finals in Brisbane ought to they each win their subsequent matches.

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