Sabalenka shatters tie-break record as Australian open quarter-final line-up takes shape

Aryna Sabalenka continued her relentless march through the Australian Open by breaking Novak Djokovic’s Open-era record for consecutive tie-breaks won at Grand Slams, brushing aside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko to reach the quarter-finals in Melbourne, Sport360NG reports.

The world number one eased to a 6-1 7-6 (7-1) victory on Rod Laver Arena, sealing her 20th straight tie-break success and maintaining a perfect set record at this year’s tournament. The two-time defending champion has now reached at least the quarter-finals in 13 successive major appearances and stands two wins away from a fourth consecutive Australian Open final.

Sabalenka looked on course for a routine win as she surged a set and a double break clear, but Mboko threatened a fightback by clawing back to 4-4 in the second set. The Belarusian, however, regained control when it mattered most, dominating the tie-break to close out the match.

“It puts pressure on my opponents, and that’s what I like about playing tie-breaks now,” Sabalenka said. “I try not to think about the situation and just go point by point. That’s been the key to my consistency.”

Djokovic, whose record she surpassed, responded with good humour on social media, posting: “I’m upset right now.”

Sabalenka, champion in Melbourne in 2023 and 2024, will next face 18-year-old American Iva Jovic, who reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final with an emphatic 6-0 6-1 win over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva in just 53 minutes. Jovic, the 29th seed, had not previously advanced beyond the second round of a major but has impressed throughout the fortnight, including a straight-sets victory over seventh seed Jasmine Paolini.

“I’m really excited,” Jovic said of the prospect of facing Sabalenka. “She’s number one for a reason and has had so much success here, but that’s what I want, to play the best and see how it goes.”

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina booked a quarter-final meeting with world number three Coco Gauff after defeating Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva 6-2 6-4. Svitolina, seeded 12th, broke serve three times in the opening set and saved seven of nine break points overall to extend her winning streak to nine matches in 2026.

“It was nerve-wracking and I had to fight until the very last point,” Svitolina said after the match.

Gauff also advanced to the last eight for a third consecutive year in Melbourne, overcoming Czech 19th seed Karolina Muchova 6-1 3-6 6-3. The American recovered from a second-set dip to close out the contest on her fourth match point, improving her head-to-head record against Muchova to 5-0.

“Trusting myself has been the biggest thing,” Gauff said. “I know I’ve put in the work, and I believe it will show up in matches.”

With Sabalenka’s dominance, Jovic’s breakthrough, and heavyweight quarter-final clashes looming, the Australian Open women’s draw is set for a compelling final week in Melbourne.