By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka has handed 18-year-old American Iva Jovic a comprehensive 6-3, 6-0 defeat in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open to remain on course for her third title at Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka a runner-up in Melbourne last year, won back-to-back titles here in 2023 and 2024 and lost the final a year ago to Madison Keys.
The first of the four quarterfinals scheduled on Day 10 was played outdoors, despite predictions of the temperature peaking at 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in Melbourne.
“I guess, yeah, as a woman, we are stronger than the guys,” Sabalenka said her later news conference, laughing. “So they had to close the roof for the guys so they don’t suffer!”
Sabalenka went up 3-0 in the first set and established her dominance early against the 29th-seeded Jovic.
Jovic had three breakpoint chances in the ninth game, which lasted 10 minutes, but wasn’t able to convert against the world’s No. 1-ranked woman. In the last game, Sabalenka served an ace on break point and clinched it with another ace on match point. She saved all five break points she faced.
It gave her back-to-back wins over up-and-coming teenagers following her fourth-round victory over 19-year-old Canadian Vicky Mboko.
“These teenagers have tested me in the last couple of rounds — incredible player,” Sabalenka said of Jovic in an on-court interview.
“It was a tough match,” Sabalenka added. “Don’t look at the score. She played incredible tennis and she pushed me to a one-step better level. It was a battle.”
Meanwhile Alexander Zverev got the benefit of playing under a roof at Rod Laver Arena and advanced to the final four with a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-6 (3) win over 20 year-old Learner Tien.
The No. 3-ranked Zverev, last year’s runner-up in Australia, reached his 10th Grand Slam semifinal on the back of 24 aces and just a single double-fault — which he served when he had six match points in the deciding tiebreaker.