Bencic Storms Into Second Round, Ends Boulter's Australian Open

Belinda Bencic delivered a powerful performance to defeat Britain's Katie Boulter in the first round of the Australian Open. The 10th seed won 6-0, 7-5. Before the match, Boulter said she felt no pressure. She believed all expectations were on Bencic. This, she thought, would let her play freely. However, beating a top-10 player is a huge task. Under the lights of Margaret Court Arena, Bencic was in superb form. She dominated the first set without losing a game. Boulter fought back in the second set, making the score more competitive. But Bencic remained in control. She secured the victory in straight sets. In other news, Britain's Sonay Kartal also lost her first-round match. She was defeated by Anna Kalinskaya 7-6(3), 6-1.