Aryna Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion, demonstrated remarkable resilience as she fought back from the brink, saving four match points and converting four of her own to secure a hard-fought 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) victory against Payton Stearns in the Indian Wells Masters on Saturday.
Ranked as the world number two, Sabalenka found herself pushed to her limits in her opening match by the American underdog, who is currently ranked 64th.
The encounter proved to be a grueling battle right from the outset for Sabalenka, who was looking to bounce back from a disappointing opening match loss in Dubai back in February.
Despite facing adversity, Sabalenka managed to break Stearns as the American served for what could have been the biggest upset of her career, with Stearns leading 5-4 in the third set. This crucial breakthrough allowed Sabalenka to force the match into a tiebreaker.
After a tense exchange, the double Grand Slam winner finally secured her passage into the third round on her fourth opportunity, releasing a triumphant roar mingled with relief.
Sabalenka, who was the runner-up to Elena Rybakina in the California desert last year, is now set to face off against 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu of Britain in the third round.
