Aryna Sabalenka insisted that she played well against Nick Kyrgios and made him feel tense on the court, before hinting at a potential rematch against the Australian.
Playing with her side of the court reduced by 9 percent, the top-ranked WTA player in the game suffered a 3-6 3-6 defeat to the 2022 Wimbledon finalist.
In the first set, Sabalenka twice came back from a break down - managed to get the set tied to three games apiece - but then blew two consecutive game points and lost the opener after Kyrgios picked up back-to-back breaks in the seventh and ninth games.
After losing the opener, Sabalenka started the second set nicely and had an early 3-1 lead. Unfortunately for the four-time Grand Slam champion, she couldn't sustain the same level as Kyrgios won the next five games to complete the job in two sets.
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Sabalenka: I put on a great fight, Kyrgios was struggling... Now I know the tactic for the next time
I felt great. I think I put on a great fight. He was struggling. He got really tight. Im happy to see the guy is getting tight when taking away one of my serves. I think it was a great level. I made a lot of great shots. Moved a lot to the net. Great drop shots Nick. Great serving. I really enjoyed the show. I feel like next time I play him I already know the tactic. I know his strength and weaknesses. Its gonna be a better match for sure," the WTA world No. 1 said afterward.
Before the match, Sabalenka was adamant that she would not go down easy. The Belarusian may have lost, but she kept her word.
