The Australian Open’s defending champion has her revenge – and may now flip her focus to successful back-to-back titles.
Aryna Sabalenka made no secret after her quarter-final demolition of Barbora Krejcikova that she needed to banish the reminiscence of final yr’s US Open closing defeat to Coco Gauff by beating the American of their rematch nearly 17,000 kilometres away in Melbourne.
Aryna Sabalenka will meet Chinese language twelfth seed Zheng Qinwen for the Australian Open ladies’s closing.Credit score: Eddie Jim
Sabalenka conceded not more than three video games in any of her 10 units en path to the Australian Open semi-finals, however predictably had a far harder time of it in opposition to Gauff earlier than prevailing 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 in an absorbing contest.
The victory additionally means the 25-year-old Belarusian holds on to her world No.2 rating, which fourth-seeded Gauff would have taken if she gained on Thursday night time.
Sabalenka will meet Chinese language twelfth seed Zheng Qinwen in Saturday night time’s closing as she makes an attempt to change into the primary girl to say consecutive singles titles at Melbourne Park since her compatriot Victoria Azarenka in 2012-13.