Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina delivered a stern tennis lesson to 16-year-old Emerson Jones on Tuesday, advancing to the second round of the Australian Open in a 6-1 6-1 win.
The sixth-seeded Kazakh showcased her experience by skillfully working the Junior World #1 across all areas of the Margaret Court Arena, unleashing 26 winners and 11 aces to end the encounter in under an hour.
At 5-1 down, Jones displayed a hint of her ability by creating three break points, but Rybakina countered by hitting four straight aces and a forehand winner to claim the first set.
Rybakina will face another teenager, Iva Jovic, in the next round after the young American completed a 6-1 6-2 demolition job of Nuria Parrizas-Diaz’s on her Melbourne bow.
Paolini Masterclass
Jasmine Paolini, meanwhile, showcased her credentials for the Australian Open title, performing impressively in the first round on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Italian delivered a crushing “bagel” to Chinese qualifier Wei Sijia, who was debuting at a Grand Slam, finishing with a 6-0 6-4 scoreline.
Last year, Paolini became the first Italian woman to advance to the last 16 at all four Grand Slams in the Open Era and clinched the title in Dubai, marking a breakthrough year that launched her into the top five. She also reached her first major finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and the world number four is eager to secure a title in Melbourne.
Paolini exploded out of the gate with a dominant first set, achieving an impressive 81 per cent success rate on her first serves against the struggling World #117.
Wei managed to get on the scoreboard by winning the second set’s opening game. She gained confidence with several drop-shot winners and earned two early break points but could not convert them.
Paolini sustained the pressure on her opponent and succeeded in breaking Wei again to take a 3-2 lead before closing out the match with a commanding victory in just 73 minutes.
Her next challenge will come on Thursday against either Mexico’s Renata Zarazua.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
