Aryna Sabalenka used her on-court interview to demand a new dining room at the Cincinnati Open. The world No. 1 believes one minor change is needed to the stunning upgrades at the new-look tournament.
Sabalenka avoided an early scare to defeat Marketa Vondrousova 7-5 6-1 in her second-round match. She faces a rematch of her Wimbledon clash with Emma Raducanu up next. And if the 27-year-old is to go far at the tournament, she will require an even bigger upgrade to the facilities. After beating Vondrousova, she has asked for a bigger dining room to accommodate the huge number of players at the Cincinnati Open.
Asked about the changes in her on-court interview, Sabalenka said: “The first time I came back, I was like, ‘Where am I?’ It’s a completely different tournament, it’s an impressive job done. Just wow. Everything is so confusing! Little by little I’m getting used to it.”
She then added with a smile: “My only request is that next year we make the dining room a bit bigger. There are so many people and so little tables, please! Next year let’s make sure there’s more space in the dining room. Everyone likes to eat, everyone likes to spend time there. We need a bigger room!
“Other than that, oh my gosh, it’s even more enjoyable to be here.”
Sabalenka faces an in-form Raducanu in the third round, a little over a month after their epic contest at Wimbledon. In early July, the British No. 1 produced one of her best performances in a long time to push the Belarusian into a first-set tiebreak. She eventually ran out of steam and lost in straight sets.
Raducanu’s form has been very positive this year. The 22-year-old was excellent in her straight-sets victory over Olga Danilovic.
“I’m really building some momentum. I’m really happy with how I’ve stayed pretty consistent over the last few months,” said Raducanu afterwards. “I still feel like there’s a long way to go but just working hard behind the scenes, putting a lot of hours in and hoping I can trust in that.”
Raducanu has appointed Francis Roig as her full-time coach. The Spaniard was part of Rafael Nadal’s team, alongside the tennis icon’s uncle, Toni, for each of his 22 Grand Slam victories. Raducanu is hoping Roig can help her make the changes needed to return to the top of the sport.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk