Sabalenka continues on her way in two steps

Things didn't go quite as smoothly as expected, but in the end Aryna Sabalenka will make it through to the last 16.

Up against an excellent Alexandrova, the Belarusian initially seemed unable to find the right rhythm, losing the first set by a wide margin. Making far too many errors, the world number 2 seemed lost on the court, unable to find the right blend of accuracy and aggression.

Finally, the outgoing finalist found herself. Once again hitting the ball hard and limiting her number of errors, Sabalenka dominated the rest of the match, finally winning in less than 2 hours (2-6, 6-1, 6-2).

Despite a slight scare, the 26-year-old champion will take part in the second week. In the next round, she will face Mertens for a place in the quarters.