Sabalenka pushes back on party talk after dominant second-round win

NEW YORK, Sept 2 : Double defending champion Aryna Sabalenka bristled at a reporter's suggestion the events and appearances surrounding the U.S. Open had included "parties and fun" after she cruised past Polina Iatcenko 6-1 6-1 on Wednesday.The Belarusian, who had faced a similar line of questioning after her first-round win, fired back that her off-court appearances had not come at the expense of her preparations for the Grand Slam."You guys are, like, a joke. Parties, fun... like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? What kind of question is that?" the world number one said."Just because I posted, like, some activities with brands, and you think that I've been partying, not training?" she added, cutting the exchange short. Turning to her performance on Wednes