Both Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina were forces to be reckoned with in the Australian Open semifinal round on Thursday. Sabalenka powered past Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 to set herself up to potentially win the event for the third time in four years, while Rybakina topped Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (7) to solidify her revenge match with the World No. 1 in the finals.
Sabalenka continued her match winning streak against Svitolina, reaching the finals without dropping a single set to start the WTA season. She also became just the third woman in the Open era to reach four singles final rounds in a row at the Australian Open, joining Martina Hingis and Evonne Goolagong.
“It's an incredible achievement, but the job's not done yet,” Sabalenka said about the feat in her interview after the match. She continued to explain her mindset going into the match against the Ukrainian star. “I've been watching her game. [Svitolina] was playing incredible. I felt like I had to step in and put as much pressure as I could back on her. I'm glad the level was there. I think I played great tennis.”
The only hiccup she encountered during the match came when umpire Louise Azemar Engzell gave Sabalenka a point penalty for hindrance, which is called when a player causes a distraction that prevents their opponent from making a shot. The Belarusian phenom was accused of making a prolonged grunt and asked for a review, but the penalty was upheld.
But Sabalenka took the call in stride, using it to elevate her play even further.”It actually helped me. I was more aggressive. I was not happy with the call, and it really helped me to get that game,” Sabalenka said with a laugh. “So if [Azemar Engzell] ever wants to do it again — like, I want to make sure that she's not afraid of it — go ahead, call it. It's going to help me.”
Meanwhile, Rybakina also maintained control over her opponent for nearly the entire match. The Kazakh star's lone struggle came during the match point, which took her 29 minutes to win after missing out on the clinching opportunity five times.
When asked about the end of the contest, Rybakina described it as “really, really stressful” after her victory. “I'm proud no matter the situation. It got very tight. I stayed there. I was fighting for each point,” she added.
When the duo last went head-to-head for the Australian Open championship, Sabalenka came from behind to steal the win from Rybakina 4-6. 6-3, 6-4.
“It was a great battle,” Rybakina said about the 2023 final. “In the end, she played a bit better, and it was well deserved. I want to enjoy the final, and hopefully I can serve better than today.”
However, Rybakina managed to get the better of Sabalenka at the WTA Finals in November, and she hopes to continue that pattern on Saturday.
“I could take only positive from that week. This is what I'm trying to do,” she said. “Remembering some good stuff from this WTA Final.”
