Aryna Sabalenka faced significant challenges due to wind conditions during her Australian Open quarterfinal match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, ultimately admitting that she was simply hoping to “magically” navigate through the contest. The reigning champion experienced a setback when she lost her first set at Melbourne Park since Elena Rybakina managed to take one from her in the 2023 final. Sabalenka’s struggles intensified as she found herself down by a break twice in the early stages of the third set.
Despite these difficulties, Sabalenka showcased her resilience as a top competitor, overcoming Pavlyuchenkova, ranked 31st in the world, with a final score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. After a dominant first set where she broke Pavlyuchenkova twice, the Belarusian faltered in the second, surrendering her serve three times. Although she faced further breaks in the deciding set, Sabalenka’s ability to secure three breaks of her own ultimately sealed her victory, despite her tally of 27 unforced errors and five service breaks throughout the match.
Looking ahead, Sabalenka is set to face her close friend Paula Badosa, who advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal by defeating Coco Gauff. The world No. 1 enters the match with a 19-match winning streak at the Australian Open and is just two victories away from achieving a remarkable three-peat. “Sometimes, it’s good to have these tough battles to prepare for the later stages of the tournament,” Sabalenka reflected. While she expressed a desire to have won in straight sets, she remains focused on the semifinals, stating, “Now I’m in the semis, and I cannot wait to play against Paula.” Sabalenka holds a favorable 5-2 record against Badosa, having won their last five encounters.
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