"It was crazy late" - Aryna Sabalenka weighs in on Daniil Medvedev's 3:40 am match finish in Australian Open 2R

Aryna Sabalenka has stated that she has no preference when it comes to the timings of her matches, following the late finish to Daniil Medvedev's second-round match at the 2024 Australian Open.

On Thursday, January 18, Medvedev's match against Emil Ruusuvuori started at around 11 pm. The Russian fought back from two sets down to win 3-6, 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(1), meaning the contest came to an end at 3:40 am the following day.

At a press conference in Melbourne, Sabalenka stated that she prefers to finish her matches late instead of pausing and resuming the next day.

"Medvedev's match finished super late, but I don't know honestly what to say. For me it's better to finish the match instead of playing on the next day and next day you have another match. So I would just finish it, sleep as long as I can, and prepare for the next day," she said.

"But the Medvedev match was super late. It was crazy late. I don't know if they had any options to move the match in another court or they didn't have any options. Maybe they asked players if they're ready to go, if they want to go," Sabalenka added.

When asked to pick what timings she prefers to play, the World No. 2 said that she does not have any preference as early and late matches both have their pros and cons.

"I don't know what I prefer, actually. I like to play late matches because then it's more people watching it, the atmosphere is incredible. At the same time I like to play first match because if you win you start earlier, you win and you go and do whatever you want to do," she said with a smile.

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Aryna Sabalenka cruises into the 2024 Australian Open 4R, to face Amanda Anisimova next

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 Australian Open.

Aryna Sabalenka has continued her dominant run at the 2024 Australian Open, beating Lesia Tsurenko 6-0, 6-0 in a third-round contest at the Rod Laver Arena on Friday, January 19.

The defending champion needed just 52 minutes to double-bagel the 28th seed and become the first woman to win 10 consecutive matches at the Melbourne Major since Serena Williams managed the feat between 2017 and 2019.

This is the first match to finish 6-0, 6-0 at the Australian Open since Ashleigh Barty's first-round win over Danka Kovinic in 2021. Additionally, it is Sabalenka's first 6-0, 6-0 win on the WTA tour.

The Belarusian, who has lost just six games in her first three matches at Melbourne Park this year, will face Amanda Anisimova in the Round of 16.