Bartunkova has had a breakthrough yr, beating then world amount 10 Belinda Bencic on the Australian Open and ending runner-up on the grass courtroom docket event in Birmingham earlier in June.
Her flat strokes and booming return of serve confounded Sabalenka, who quickly found herself 5-1 down.
Having misplaced 4 video video games in a row, Sabalenka saved 4 set elements on her serve and had two break-back elements as Bartunkova tried to close out the opener – only for the 20-year-old to hearth two huge first serves previous her.
The world amount 62 let unfastened an infinite scream of celebration as she took the lead, and her constructive play allowed her to take the first 4 video video games of the second set.
Sabalenka’s serve had barely been a component – one hit the physique of the racquet and sailed out of courtroom docket at one degree – until she held to love to get on the board.
Although she wanted to avoid wasting one different break degree, Sabalenka gained the next 5 video video games to get in entrance for the first time throughout the match sooner than taking the tie-break.
Momentum swung throughout the remaining set, with Sabalenka twice being wrestled once more from a break up, nevertheless an infinite forehand winner set her as a lot as serve for the match at 5-4.
Two match elements received right here and went sooner than a trademark forehand cross-court secured victory for the best seed.
Whereas the gritty victory will please Sabalenka, she was moreover icing her correct shoulder on the changeovers – an harm that dominated her out of Wimbledon two years up to now.
Elsewhere, world amount two and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina withdrew from the Unhealthy Homburg Open with a hip concern.
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