Staff Reporter.
Fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka outmuscled Donna Vekic 6-3 6-2 in a ferocious battle of big hitters on Wednesday to reach the semifinals of the Australian Open for the first time.
The 24-year-old, the only top-10 seed left in the draw, took her chances in a physical one-hour first set littered with break points before running away with the second.
Vekic had held a 5-1 career record against Sabalenka but was unable to match the level of the new, improved version of the Belarusian with 13 double faults not helping the Croatian’s cause.
Sabalenka completed the semifinal line-up after 109 minutes on Rod laver Arena and will play Polish surprise package Magda Linette on Thursday for a place in her first Grand Slam final.
Sabalenka’s streak continues: The Adelaide International 1 champion extended her unbeaten run to nine matches to start the season. She flipped the script of her career head-to-head against Vekic with the 1 hour, 49-minute victory, beating the Croatian for just the second time in seven career meetings.
Not only is Sabalenka yet to lose a set at this Australian Open, she has yet to play a three-setter in 2023. She’s won all nine matches she’s played in straight sets, and she’s only dropped 26 games in 10 sets so far in Melbourne.
Semifinal outlook: Though she’s 0-3 in her career in Grand Slam semifinals to date, Sabalenka will be a heavy favorite against Linette on form and in recent history.
She’s 2-0 in her career against the Polish No. 2, including a 6-2, 6-1 victory last summer at the Tokyo Olympics. However, Linette has taken out four seeds in five rounds so far in Melbourne.