Aryna Sabalenka Survives Scare, Reaches Australian Open Semis

Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the Australian Open semi-finals after overcoming a scare from Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The world number one, aiming for her third consecutive Melbourne title, cruised through the first set but struggled as Pavlyuchenkova bounced back to take the second set and break early in the third. However, Sabalenka maintained her composure and battled back to secure a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win.

Sabalenka acknowledged her inconsistency during the match, saying, “I was all over the place,” but felt relieved to regain control. This marked the first time since the 2023 final that she dropped a set at the Australian Open, a tournament she aims to win for a third straight year. She will now face her friend Paula Badosa in the semi-finals after Badosa’s upset win over Coco Gauff.

At one point, Aryna Sabalenka’s chances of reaching her 10th Grand Slam semi-final seemed slim, as Pavlyuchenkova surged ahead with early momentum in the third set. But the Belarusian quickly leveled the score and broke again to seize a 5-3 lead, eventually serving out the match and extending her 19-match winning streak in Melbourne. Sabalenka, who has reached the semi-finals in eight of her last nine Grand Slam appearances, joked that if she wins the title, she will get her team tiger tattoos to celebrate.

She explained that the tiger tattoo on her forearm serves as a reminder to stay aggressive, hungry, and determined. Despite her strong recovery, Pavlyuchenkova reflected on her eighth Grand Slam quarter-final defeat, expressing frustration with her performance, particularly in the first set when she failed to generate a single break point.