Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina overpowered teenager Emerson Jones in a dominant first-round victory at the Australian Open.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina delivered a dominant performance against teenager Emerson Jones on Tuesday, securing a resounding victory in the Australian Open first round 6-1, 6-1. The sixth seed from Kazakhstan showcased her exceptional skills, maneuvering the 16-year-old world junior number one from Australia across Margaret Court Arena.
Rybakina's powerful serving and aggressive groundstrokes proved too much for Jones to handle as she fired 11 aces and 26 winners, wrapping up the match in just 53 minutes and ending Jones's first Grand Slam appearance in a swift fashion. 'She has a great future and many more years on tour, but I am pretty happy with my performance,' said Rybakina, who reached the final of the Australian Open two years ago, losing to Aryna Sabalenka. Jones, a highly regarded prospect from Australia who trains at the National Tennis Academy in Queensland, is considered a future star with the potential to emulate the success of former Melbourne Park champion Ash Barty. Despite her young age, Jones displayed glimpses of her talent during the match, particularly at 5-1 down in the first set, when she created three break points. However, Rybakina proved too strong, responding with four consecutive aces and a decisive forehand winner to seal the set.Rybakina acknowledged that she had to prepare strategically for her opponent, stating, 'I watched a bit of her matches. It took me a couple of games to get used to how she hits the ball.' Rybakina's participation in the tournament has also been overshadowed by a pre-tournament controversy surrounding her decision to reinstate former coach Stefano Vukov to her team. Vukov, who played a pivotal role in Rybakina's Wimbledon triumph in 2022, is currently facing a provisional WTA suspension due to allegations of using harsh and abusive behavior towards players. Vukov has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and Rybakina has asserted that she has never been mistreated by him
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