Aryna Sabalenka Survives Pavlyuchenkova Scare to Reach Australian Open Semi-Finals
Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one, battled through a difficult meet against Russian veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to get to the Australian Open semi-finals and keep her hopes of a record third consecutive victory alive.
Dominant First Set
Aryna Sabalenka, 26, made an early statement in the match by easily winning the first set at Rod Laver Arena. She broke Pavlyuchenkova’s serve and won the set 6-2 in 31 minutes, perhaps on track for a quick victory. Pavlyuchenkova’s Resurgence
But, Pavlyuchenkova, 33, had various goals. The 27th seed made an amazing comeback in the second set, breaking Sabalenka’s serve many times. The Russians played aggressive, strong tennis, and Sabalenka fought to reclaim control. Pavlyuchenkova won the set 6-2, the first time Sabalenka has lost at Melbourne Park since the 2023 final.
Decisive third set
The match was now evenly poised at one set each. Sabalenka seemed wobbly in the crucial third set, but she battled. The two players moved breaks early in the set, but Sabalenka ultimately broke Pavlyuchenkova’s serve at 4-3. The Belarusian regained her confidence and served out the match, winning 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in 1 hour and 53 minutes.
Looking Ahead to Semi-Final
“I was just praying, trying to put the ball back in these tough conditions. We were both just trying to put the ball back,” Sabalenka said after the match. Her 19th consecutive win at Melbourne Park sets her up for a semi-final clash against 11th seed Paula Badosa, who earlier defeated third seed Coco Gauff.
Sabalenka, who wants to become the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-1999) to win three straight Australian Open tournaments commented on the difficult meet and expressed her joy for the upcoming challenge. “Sometimes maybe this’s good to have these tough battles, to go through it, to be tougher for the last matches of the tournament,” she told the crowd.
As Sabalenka prepares for her semi-final against Badosa, she is a strong prospect for a historic win at this year’s Australian Open.
