Melbourne: Aryna Sabalenkova’s boots told the story long before the scoreboard did. Their silvery, star-sparkling twinkle under the lights of Rod Laver Arena as she asserted her authority in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.There was nothing restraining the world number one’s performance as the 27-year-old held off the challenge of Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 in 77 minutes to book her place in a fourth successive title match at Melbourne Park.Sabalenka hit 29 winners, won eight of her nine service games and converted four of seven break point opportunities to set up a final showdown with big-serving Kazakh Elena Rybakina on a chilly Thursday night here. The fifth seed beat American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the other semi-final, sealing victory with a two-handed backhand for her fourth match point after one hour and 40 minutes.Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, is returning to a major final for the first time since the 2023 Australian Open title match. She said she was “super happy” with how she handled her emotions during a tense second set when the Kazakh’s nerves were frayed and Pegula opened the fight.“It was an absolute battle,” said Rybakina, who has fired 31 winners in her last four victories.
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Sabalenková’s start was far from flawless. She appeared tight early and pushed too hard in the opening games as Svitolina, the world number 12, rocked much like she did earlier in the tournament when she upset Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff. The 31-year-old relied on defense when necessary, knowing her best chance was to take a risk and push Sabalenko behind the baseline.Tensions flared in the fourth game when the two-time champion was penalized a point for obstruction. Sabalenka appeared to grunt twice as she returned from deep court, prompting an immediate phone call from Sweden’s head referee Louis Azemar Engzell. Although she was visibly unhappy with the decision, the top seed channeled her frustration into more aggressive and decisive tennis.“The ball was deep, the bounce was wrong, it happened naturally,” Sabalenka said. “I think it was a bad call. She really pissed me off and it actually helped my game. I was more aggressive. I wasn’t happy with the call and it really helped me win the game.”Saturday’s final will mark the 15th meeting between Sabalenkova and Rybakina, with Belarus holding an 8-6 lead in the head-to-head. The pair met four times last year and split those meetings.When asked if Rybakina would hit harder than her, Sabalenkova acknowledged the challenge her 26-year-old opponent presents. “I think her shots are hard, deep, flat balls,” she said. “She is not easy to work with, but yes, we have a great history. She is an incredible player. We had a lot of great battles, we played a lot of finals.”Sabalenka, a four-time major winner, enjoyed her breakthrough at the tournament in 2023 when she beat Rybakina in the final, but insists the match has little bearing on what lies ahead.“I think I won’t back down in that final because me and her, we’re both different players now,” Sabalenka said. “We’ve been through different things. We’re a lot stronger mentally and physically and we’re playing better tennis now.”“I’m going to approach it like a completely different game,” she added, “like it’s the very first game we’re playing and I’m going to do my best.”
