World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominance on Australian hard courts on Thursday, Jan. 8, as she moved into the Brisbane International quarterfinals with another composed straight-set victory.

The defending Brisbane champion defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 19 minutes in their round of 16 meeting at the Australian Open warm-up event.

Sabalenka broke serve three times in the opening set before facing stiffer resistance in the second. After missing several opportunities, she finally converted a late break to close out the match.

She said afterward that Cirstea raised her level in the second set, forcing her to stay patient before sealing the win.

Sabalenka’s latest victory improved her Australian record since the start of 2023 to 35 wins against just two losses, a stretch highlighted by two Australian Open titles and runner-up finishes in Brisbane last year and Melbourne in 2025.

Rybakina stretches winning run

Elena Rybakina also booked a place in the quarterfinals on Thursday, Jan. 8, as the fifth seed eased past world No. 25 Paula Badosa 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 25 minutes.

The Kazakh dropped her opening two service games but quickly found her range, winning 12 of the next 15 games while striking 24 winners across the match.

Rybakina admitted she started slowly and struggled on serve early, but was pleased with how she settled into the contest. The win extended her winning streak to 13 matches after closing 2025 with a WTA Finals title.

Sabalenka will next face either Diana Shnaider or reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys, while Rybakina is set to meet Ekaterina Alexandrova or Karolina Muchova in the last eight. [Xinhua]