“She’s playing some great tennis so I’m just super proud of myself. I had to bring my best tennis to win,” a jubilant Sofia Kenin said two years ago, after upsetting Aryna Sabalenka in Rome. The Belarusian had just entered the Italian Open following a title win in Madrid. She was expected to carry the momentum forward. But Kenin broke her hopes. In the second round, the 2020 Australian Open champion pulled off a sensational victory against Sabalenka and edged her out in straight sets. Now, Sabalenka is set to meet Kenin once again in the second round of the Italian Open on Sunday. Is it going to be a Déjà vu moment for the World No. 1? Or, will she manage to flip the result and avenge her loss? Seems like Sabalenka has her target locked.

For the unversed, Sabalenka is leading the h2h tally 3-1 against Kenin as of now. However, her only defeat against the American came in Rome. Two years ago, Kenin beat her 7-6(4), 6-2 in the R64. “I’m super happy. It was a really tough match,” said Kenin back then. It was her first top 10 win as well after 2020. “I served well and returned well. I brought my good game,” she added.

But this time, Sabalenka appears to be prepared. So much so, that she’s only thinking about the ‘revenge’. The three-time slam champion kicked off her Italian Open campaign on Friday. In the R64, she bested Russia’s Anastasia Potapova in straight sets with a score line of 6-2, 6-2.

After the match, Sabalenka sat down for an interaction with the Tennis Channel. When asked about another encounter with Kenin in Rome, Sabalenka made her intentions clear. “Well, I have a great chance to take a revenge here in Rome against her,” she said.

The 27-year-old added, “She’s a great player, she’s tricky. Sometimes she goes out and play incredible tennis. Sometimes it doesn’t work. So you never know what to expect from Sofia and you to be ready like 100 percent every time and you have to bring your best tennis to get the win.” Overall, she’s really “excited to face her and it’s going to be a great match and I’m looking forward.”

Sofia Kenin is coming off her first round win against Russian pro Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The American ousted Pavlyuchenkova with a dominating score line of 6-3, 6-0. Given Kenin’s current form, it won’t be that easy for Sabalenka to complete the revenge she is looking for, but hey the Belarusian has some time to think about that match.

Right now, she is looking to enjoy some Italian cuisine. How can you miss the delicious food when in Italy? Sabalenka is no exception to this.

Aryna Sabalenka reveals her favorite food in Rome after a comfortable win

Following her victory in R64 against Potapova on Friday, Aryna Sabalenka revealed she had the option to play the match early morning or evening. She went with the first option. But why? Well, because she had a delicious meal on her mind to wrap up the match quick and head straight for dinner!

When asked about her plans in Rome, Sabalenka said, “Honestly, you know, I had the chance to play at seven PM or 11 AM, and I chose 11 because, you know why? Because I want to go to dinner, and I want to have pasta and probably pizza.” Sweeping Potapova in just an hour surely left her ample time to get ready for dinner.

It’s evident that the Belarusian loves the Italian food. Just a day before her R64 match, she posted a lively Instagram carousel. “Rome, I missed you!! (and your food 😚) 🇮🇹🍝🍕🍦,” she wrote. Sabalenka further added, “So, yeah, I’ll probably go out for dinner. I’ll walk around the city; I love being in Rome-it’s an incredibly beautiful place.”

Last year, Sabalenka’s campaign in Rome was amazing as she reached the summit clash. However, arch rival Iga Swiatek broke her dream of lifting the trophy. But what about this year’s prospects? “Right now, I’m stronger than ever, physically and mentally, and also my game improved a lot. So, I really hope this is the year where I’m going to look back on the clay-court season and be super proud of myself,” Sabalenka said.

Are you backing Sabalenka to go all the way and lift the trophy at this year’s Italian Open? Let us know in the comments below.