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Sabalenka cruises past Yastremska to reach the last 16 in Rome

AFP
Sabalenka was at her best
Sabalenka was at her bestReuters
Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka (26) cruised into the last 16 of the Rome Open on Sunday with a straight-sets victory over Dayana Yastremska (23), 6-4, 6-2.

Second seed Sabalenka claimed her first win in four matches against Ukrainian Yastremska to set up a clash in the next round with either Elina Svitolina, a two-time winner at the Foro Italico, or Anna Kalinskaya.

The Belarusian made short work of Yastremska, dispatching her opponent in just one hour and 28 minutes without dropping a service game and never looking in trouble.

The world number two, who has never won in Rome but is a two-time champion on the Madrid clay, looks in good shape to at least match her 2022 run to the semi-finals.

If she were to go two better, she'd claim her first clay-court title of the season after she narrowly lost a thrilling Madrid final to world number one and main rival Iga Swiatek (22).