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Number two Aryna Sabalenka made a stoic return to the court on Friday as she eased past Paula Badosa 6-4 6-3 to reach the third round of the Miami Open just days after the death of her former boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov.
What was a long and difficult week for the 25-year-old Belarusian, who had received a first round bye, was made a little bit longer as heavy rains swept across South Florida. It delayed the start of play by just over six hours.
While not at her sharpest, the Australian Open champion made quick work of her Spanish opponent as dark clouds again threatened to halt action.
“No, I wasn’t surprised at all (by Sabalenka’s play)”, said Badosa. “She’s a very, very strong woman, strong personality, you can see it on the court. I knew she was going to play very well and I told her I wish her the best and let’s see if she can go very deep in this tournament.”
