Sabalenka overpowers Zheng to retain Australian Open title

Aryna Sabalenka emphatically marched to back-to-back Australian Open titles with a convincing straight-sets win over China's Qinwen Zheng in Saturday's women's singles final.

The defending champion struggled to put the match to bed in the closing stages, missing four match points as Zheng briefly threatened a monumental comeback, but the second seed ultimately ran out a deserved 6-3 6-2 victor over the first-time major finalist.

Sabalenka powered her way to a second Grand Slam singles title without dropping a single set over the past two weeks, while she is also the first women's singles player to win consecutive titles since her fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old's Melbourne crowning . . .