Aryna's arena: Sabalenka earns chance to defend her Open crown
The Australian Open’s defending champion has her revenge – and can now turn her focus to winning back-to-back titles.
Aryna Sabalenka made no secret after her quarter-final demolition of Barbora Krejcikova that she wanted to banish the memory of last year’s US Open final defeat to Coco Gauff by beating the American in their rematch almost 17,000 kilometres away in Melbourne.
Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her passage into another Australian Open women’s singles final.Credit: Eddie Jim
Sabalenka conceded no more than three games in any of her 10 sets en route to the Australian Open semi-finals, but predictably had a far tougher time of it against Gauff before prevailing 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 in an absorbing contest.
The victory also means the 25-year-old Belarusian holds on to her world No.2 ranking, which fourth-seeded Gauff would have taken if she won on Thursday night.
Sabalenka will meet Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska or Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen in Saturday night’s final as she attempts to become the first woman to claim consecutive singles titles at Melbourne Park since her compatriot Victoria Azarenka in 2012-13.
“I think I was able to focus on myself, and I was prepared that she’s going to move really good, and she’s going to put all the balls back to me and I just have to be ready to play an extra shot,” Sabalenka said.
“I was ready for anything tonight, so I think that was the key, and definitely your support, guys. The last time I played her [in New York], I had almost no support. I really appreciate all the support, and the atmosphere. You make this place really special for me.”
Sabalenka burst out of the blocks in typically bombastic fashion, winning the first seven points and snatching a 2-0 lead, but some bloopers at the net saw her give the break straight back.
That set the scene for a rollercoaster opening set, with both players unable to serve it out – Sabalenka at 5-3, then Gauff at 6-5. The American teenager had major issues on her second serve, committing six of her eight double faults in the first set and winning only three of 17 points off it.
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Gauff failed to land a single first serve in the tiebreaker, and Sabalenka punished her for it with a series of destructive blows on her way to taking a one-set lead, as she did in New York.
There was no coming back this time around for Gauff, but there was still nothing straightforward about the second set.
Gauff dodged multiple break points in the first game of the second set before the returner won only one point across the next five games, then she saved one more – when a Sabalenka backhand return landed narrowly long – to edge 4-3 ahead.
It was Sabalenka’s turn to face pressure in the ensuing game.
She lost just her second service point for the set to start, then found herself at 0-30, only to strike three straight forehand winners in a breathtaking few minutes before holding for four-all a point later.
Aryna Sabalenka unleashes a powerful forehand.Credit: Getty Images
Gauff again found trouble and saved one more break point, but not a second as a cross-court backhand landed wide to as good as seal her fate.
Speaking afterwards, Gauff said she felt she played better in this clash than the US Open final despite the result being reversed.
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“A loss is a loss. I had my chances, yes, but also I put myself in a good position because she had her chances to easily lose that first set, too, after being up 5-2 [then] serving for it,” Gauff said.
“At this stage, in any tournament, but especially a grand slam, whether I lost one and one, or like I did today, or in a third-set tiebreaker; I still think it would hurt just as much. I am disappointed because I did feel good going out on the court. But, at the end of the day, she was the better player … I feel like I have a lot to improve.”
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