Milan, 8 January (LaPresse) – Aryna Sabalenka got off to a good start at the WTA 500 Brisbane International tournament at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Australia. The Belarusian tennis player, ranked number 1 in the world, reached the quarter-finals by beating Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-3. At the press conference, Sabalenka then attacked the congested schedule of tournaments and matches. ‘The season is definitely crazy, and that's not good for any of us, as we see so many players getting injured,’ said the WTA No. 1. "The rules are quite tricky with the mandatory events, but I will continue to skip a couple to protect my body because I struggled a lot last season. So this season we'll try to manage it a little better, even if they fine me," added Sabalenka. In other matches, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina (3) defeated Spain's Paula Badosa (15) 6-3, 6-2. American Madison Keys (5) also defeated Russian Diana Shnaider (12) 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4).
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