Sabalenka wins with heavy heart

MANILA, Philippines — World number two Aryna Sabalenka returned to the court for the first time since the death of her former boyfriend earlier this week and kept her emotions in check as she beat Spain’s Paula Badosa, 6-4 6-3 on Friday.

After six hours of rain delays, Sabalenka walked onto the court wearing an all-black outfit, a choice matched by her close friend Badosa.

Two-time Australian Open winner Sabalenka on Wednesday said she was “heartbroken” by the death of former boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov in a statement on Wednesday, where she revealed they had not been a couple at the time of his death.

Koltsov died on Monday with Miami police saying he had jumped from the balcony of a room at a resort in an “apparent suicide.” 

The former NHL ice hockey player and coach, was 42-years-old.

American Coco Gauff, the third seed, had little trouble in her test against Argentine Nadia Podoroska, winning, 6-1 6-2, in one hour 16 minutes.