Jan 23, 2025 04:08 PM IST
Aryna Sabalenka now stands only a win away from changing into the primary lady since Martina Hingis to tug off a three-peat at Melbourne Park.
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka beat Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 on the Rod Laver Area on Thursday because the Belarusian reached the Australian Open ladies’s singles last for the third straight time in a row. The world No. 1 now stands only a win away from changing into the primary lady since Martina Hingis (1997 to 1999) to tug off a three-peat at Melbourne Park.
Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka reacts throughout her semi last match in opposition to Spain’s Paula Badosa(REUTERS)
Badosa, who is about to return to the WTA Rankings High 10 after making her first Grand Slam semifinal, loved a powerful begin, earlier than the match was halted because the roof over Rod Laver Area was closed resulting from rain. Till then Badosa had a 2-0, 40-0 lead, however didn’t convert her triple-game level. The break allowed Sabalenka to bounce again as she not solely restored parity, but in addition received 4 consecutive video games. She fired 19 winners to take the opening set 6-4.
Eleventh seed Badosa, who eradicated Coco Gauff within the fourth spherical in one of many shocks of the event, was always below siege on serve in her first Grand Slam semi-final. The strain instructed as she double-faulted to reward Sabalenka an early break within the second set. She rode the momentum to a 5-1 lead earlier than sealing the match in type with a cracking forehand down the road. The 26-year-old, too, was extra devastating within the second set, the place he upped her win share behind her first serve from 69 within the opening set to 92 (12/13) and didn’t concede a single break level as he wrapped up the semifinal conflict in only one hour and 23 minutes.
With the win, Sabalenka prolonged her head-to-head file in opposition to Badosa to 6-2, successful each their Grand Slam conferences, the earlier being within the third spherical at Roland Garros final 12 months. It additionally noticed the two-time defending champion in Melbourne stretch her successful streak to twenty straight matches within the Australian Open. The final time she misplaced in Melbourne was in opposition to Kia Kanepi within the fourth spherical of the 2022 version.
Sabalenka will face both World No.2 Iga Swiatek or No.14 Madison Keys within the last.
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