VIDEO SHOWS: AUSTRALIAN OPEN MATCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM WINS OF WOMEN'S TOP SEED ARYNA SABALENKA AND MEN'S 29TH SEED FRANCES TIAFOE SHOWS: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (JANUARY 18, 2026) (TENNIS AUSTRALIA - See restrictions) ARYNA SABALENKA (BELARUS) V TIANTSOA SARAH RAKOTOMANGA RAJAONAH (FRANCE) 6-4 6-1 FIRST SET 1. SABALENKA WINS A POINT WITH BACKHAND WINNER 2. ROGER FEDERER AND ROD LAVER WATCHING THE MATCH AND WAVING AT FANS 3. SABALENKA WINS A POINT WITH FOREHAND WINNER 4. RAKOTOMANGA RAJAONAH GOES LONG AND SABALENKA WINS FIRST SET 6-4 SECOND SET 5. SABALENKA WINS A POINT WITH A FOREHAND WINNER 6. SABALENKA'S TEAM MEMBERS CLAPPING 7. SABALENKA FAILS TO BREAK THE SERVE AND RAKOTOMANGA RAJAONAH WINS A POINT WITH A FOREHAND WINNER 8. RAKOTOMANGA RAJAONAH'S CLOSE-UP 9. CROWD CHEERING 10. RAKOTOMANGA RAJAONAH NETS THE BALL AND SABALENKA WINS MATCH 6-4 6-1 11. SABALENKA CELEBRATING 12. ROGER FEDERER AND ROD LAVER CLAPPING 13. SABALENKA SHAKING HANDS WITH RAKOTOMANGA RAJAONAH 14. SABALENKA ACKNOWLEDGING THE CROWD 15. FEDERER AND ROD LAVER CLAPPING FRANCES TIAFOE (UNITED STATES) V JASON KUBLER (AUSTRALIA) 7-6(4) 6-3 6-2 16. TIAFOE WINS FIRST SET TIE-BREAKER WITH A BACKHAND WINNER / TIAFOE CELEBRATING 17. TIAFOE WINS MATCH 7-6(4) 6-3 6-2 WITH A FOREHAND WINNER 18. TIAFOE CELEBRATING 19. TIAFOE'S TEAM CLAPPING STORY: Aryna Sabalenka came under early pressure as she launched her bid for a third Australian Open title but the Belarusian clicked into gear and overpowered French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah 6-4 6-1 to reach the second round on Sunday (January 18). The world number one arrived for the match at Rod Laver Arena as the firm favourite but found herself a break down after the opening game and looked troubled throughout the first set by the guile of left-hander Rakotomanga Rajaonah despite getting back on serve. Sabalenka eventually found her rhythm and reasserted control, turning her initial difficulties into little more than a footnote as the 27-year-old settled into her power game to go up 5-4 and wrapped up the set with a huge forehand that her opponent returned long. An early break in the second set helped Sabalenka go 3-0 up and there was no stopping the four-times major champion, who closed out the contest on her third matchpoint to book a second-round clash with either Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Bai Zhuoxuan. In the men's contest, American Frances Tiafoe, the 29th seed, defeated home favourite Jason Kubler 7-6(4) 6-3 6-2. (Production: Suramya Kaushik) (The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)
