Aryna Sabalenka, the second-ranked player in the world, defeated Petra Martic, ranked 35th, 6-3, 7-6(5), to start her Omnium Banque Nationale campaign and move on to the Round of 16. Liudmila Samsonova, the 15th seed, will be Sabalenka’s opponent in her bid to advance to her 10th quarterfinal of the year.
However, a strange and rather funny incident happened right after the match. Aryna Sabalenka was seen hitting the mascot in a bizarre turn of events. One of the videos posted on the official National Banks Twitter page showcased Sabalenka trying to hit the mascot with Tennis balls at full speed. All though some may take it as a serious thing, it was pretty obvious that they were having fun and it wasn’t anything serious.
The Mascot was not harmed and Aryna Sabalenka was seen laughing towards the end of the clip that it was just a friendly encounter and nothing more after her match with Petra Martic. Sabalenka commented after the match that “I was really struggling with all her slices, especially on this surface. I think I need some time to adjust to this surface. I hope the next match I will play a little bit better, but overall, I’m just happy to get through this tough match.”
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Despite the mascot debacle Aryna Sabalenka came out on top against Petra Martic
With 34 unforced errors and 38 wins, including 13 aces, Aryna Sabalenka won the match. Although Martic played a crisper game, he only managed to hit 13 winners and 17 unforced mistakes. Sabalenka remarked, “I’d say the circumstances are a little bit complicated. “In Florida, where I was practicing, the bounce was quite different. The ball always bounces high in the US Open in Cincinnati, in my memory. The ball is not bouncing in this instance. So, playing here might be a little challenging, but I want to adapt and give it my all.”
Sabalenka has a chance to pass Iga Swiatek for the top spot this week in Montreal. In the event that Iga Swiatek loses before the quarterfinals, Sabalenka can overtake Swiatek by winning the championship. 2012 champion Petra Kvitova defeated 2021 champion Camila Giorgi in the last match of the day with scores of 6-2, 5-7, and 6-0. After one in the morning, Kvitova served for the second set but promptly recovered to win. In the Round of 16, Kvitova will take against No. 12 Belinda Bencic.
However, the “mascot hitting” incident was quick to gain attention over social media. Many of Sabalenka’s followers were quick to comment on the incident. One user came out and said “Awful. Why do you promote it?” showing the clear disbelief and disapproval of the stunt performed by Sabalenka. While others took it in a very funny and light-hearted way commenting “Holy crap, she really punishes the ball!!!!.” After the tweet gained attention, Aryna Sabalenka herself responded to the incident stating “They want me to hit this beautiful and friendly mascot, sorry I hit him with a lot of love”
Regardless of this incident, Aryna Sabalenka is looking like a very strong contender in the 2023 National Banks Open. She has a very good skill set and is definitely a challenge for other players in the competition. She is sure to go far if she performs like this and will definitely be an icon to watch in future matches.
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