The top seed and 2024 Brisbane finalist was surrounded by friends Thursday evening, from the fans in the stands to Putintseva herself, who had pushed Sabalenka to three sets only last fall at the Donfeng Voyah Wuhan Open.
“She’s an amazing player. She’s my friend, and she always pushes you to work really hard to work for every point.
Though she ultimately won in straight sets, Sabalenka was still made to battle throughout, rallying from a break down in the opening set, winning it in a tiebreaker, and steeling through the second set behind a single break of serve.
I’m a perfectionist, but I’m really happy with the level I played today, with the points I built today. Of course, I’m super happy with the win,” said Sabalenka, who thanked the crowd for sticking around for the match’s tense conclusion.
“I feel like home here.”
Sabalenka will face another test in the last eight as she aims to get revenge on Marie Bouzkova, who defeated her in three sets last summer in Washington, D.C. Still, the 26-year-old is keeping things simple on the court and when it comes to New Year’s resolutions.
“My personal resolution is to be happy, be healthy, and enjoy every moment,” she said. “I wish that for everyone.”
