Sabalenka entertained the Melbourne crowd with some dancing on court docket after the match having constructed up fairly a following on social media by posting movies of her dancing together with her staff on TikTok.
Quick turning into a fan favorite, she then went to take an image of the group with a polaroid digicam earlier than expressing her disappointment when she realised it had run out of movie.
The highest seed will face Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who knocked out British hopeful Sonay Kartal, within the subsequent spherical.
Rain affected proceedings on the skin courts on day one of many season’s first Grand Slam, however the Rod Laver Enviornment roof was open in time for Sabalenka’s night match after Zheng Qinwen, her opponent in final yr’s remaining, earlier beat Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni.
Sabalenka completed 2024 because the year-end world primary for the primary time and, starting her marketing campaign in Australia as two-time defending champion and prime seed, seemed in effective kind as she raced to a 4-0 lead.
However Stephens, who has pedigree on the onerous court docket as a former US Open champion, pegged Sabalenka again, breaking again twice for 4-3 as Sabalenka made a collection of unforced errors.
Typically animated on court docket, Sabalenka roared in frustration at every mistake, waving her arms round in exasperation.
What had seemed more likely to be an easy opening set of her marketing campaign turned out to be extra tough however the three-time Grand Slam champion transformed her fifth break level for 5-3 then served to take the set.
Sabalenka as soon as once more earned herself a double break within the second set and this time was capable of maintain on to her benefit over Stephens, who has not received a match since final yr’s Wimbledon.
The 31-year-old’s dismal kind on the Australian Open continued as she exited the event within the first spherical for the fourth time in 5 appearances.
Victory means Sabalenka has now received 28 of her final 29 matches in onerous court docket Slams because the begin of 2023, profitable 15 consecutive matches on the Australian Open and 17 consecutive units.
It’s the first time in her profession she is seeded primary at a Grand Slam and, having received the Brisbane Worldwide final week, seems to be in effective kind to go for an historic ‘three-peat’.