Arizona Tribune - Paolini races into round two to kickstart Australian Open

NYSE - LSE

JRI	1.25%	12.8	$
CMSD	-0.17%	23.04	$
RBGPF	0.12%	82.5	$
RIO	-0.41%	91.31	$
BCC	-0.46%	72.21	$
CMSC	-0.17%	23.21	$
BCE	-1.93%	25.89	$
RELX	-0.69%	34.95	$
NGG	-0.17%	89.7	$
RYCEF	4.41%	17.68	$
BP	3.37%	41.335	$
BTI	-1.09%	58.77	$
VOD	-0.63%	14.37	$
GSK	0.05%	55.345	$
AZN	-0.49%	194.03	$

Paolini races into round two to kickstart Australian Open / Photo: Paul Crock - AFP

Paolini races into round two to kickstart Australian Open

SPORTS 18.01.2026

Jasmine Paolini powered into the Australian Open second round with a straight-sets demolition to kickstart the action in a hot and sunny Melbourne on Sunday.

Text size:

The seventh-seeded Italian outclassed Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

Paolini faces Poland's Magdalena Frech or Veronika Erjavec of Slovenia next.

"It was pretty good today, I did not expect that," she said of her emphatic win in 69 minutes.

"Always tough to play first round. I played pretty good. I was solid, focused, so happy.

"Before the match I was a little nervous, to be honest, but then stepped on court and felt good from the first ball."

The 30-year-old broke her opponent's serve immediately and raced into a 3-0 lead in just 10 minutes.

She polished off the first set in 26 minutes and although Sasnovich put up more resistance in the second, Paolini ran out a comfortable winner.

Paolini reached the finals of Wimbledon and the French Open in 2024, but her best result at Melbourne Park is the fourth round in the same year.

A.Clark--AT

Arizona Tribune - Paolini races into round two to kickstart Australian Open

Paolini races into round two to kickstart Australian Open

Featured

Dortmund extend deal with in-demand Nmecha until 2030

All-conquering Mullins lands Champion Chase with Il Etait Temps

Iran 'welcome to compete' in World Cup, says Trump

Scotland can handle Six Nations pressure, says Darge