Aryna Sabalenka stayed on target for a historic third consecutive Australian Open crown on Sunday, ruthlessly blowing away teenager Mirra Andreeva to succeed in the quarter-finals.
Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka hits a shot towards Russia’s Mirra Andreeva throughout their ladies’s singles match on day eight of the Australian Open tennis event in Melbourne on January 19(AFP)
Sabalenka was in irresistible type on Rod Laver Enviornment, powering to a 6-1, 6-2 victory in simply 62 minutes towards the Russian 17-year-old.
It was the Belarusian’s 18th consecutive win at Melbourne Park, the place temperatures reached as much as 34 levels Celsius (93 Fahrenheit).
“I’m super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets,” stated Sabalenka, who will face Russian twenty seventh seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova subsequent.
“She’s so young but always playing great tennis, it’s always tough battles against her,” Sabalenka stated of Andreeva.
Regardless of registering three straight-sets wins Sabalenka had not been at her imperious greatest throughout the first week.
She dropped serve thrice within the second spherical and 5 occasions earlier than battling previous Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to succeed in the final 16.
She had no such issues in a lot hotter situations towards Andreeva, ripping by means of her first two service video games with out conceding a degree and breaking for a 4-1 lead.
“Previous days were such tough conditions, the ball was so heavy,” stated Sabalenka.
“The ball was flying like a rocket. I hope conditions are going to be the same till the end of the tournament.”
Andreeva struggled to reside with Sabalenka’s energy and was being pushed additional again because the champion pulled off a deft drop-shot winner to steer 5-1.
A scrumptious backhand move clinched the set in simply 24 minutes.
Sabalenka didn’t let up in the beginning of the second set, an early break giving her a 3-1 cushion.
Andreeva confirmed a fleeting glimpse of her expertise when saving two break factors within the subsequent.
She then created three of her personal, however all have been saved and the Sabalenka juggernaut couldn’t be stopped as she cruised to the end line.
Sabalenka can full a hat-trick of Australian Open consecutive titles.
It’s a uncommon feat final achieved 26 years in the past by Martina Hingis and solely matched by 4 different ladies in historical past, all legends of the game.
Margaret Court docket, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles are the others to finish the treble.
Pavlyuchenkova beat ailing Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic 7-6 (7/0), 6-0.
Vekic wanted therapy on her knee on the finish of a decent first set and from then on it was one-way site visitors.
Pavlyuchenkova reached the Australian Open quarter-finals in 2017, 2019 and 2020 however has by no means received to the final 4.