World number 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who will aim for a third consecutive title at the Australian Open later in January, qualified for the semi-finals of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane on Friday, at the expense of Marie Bouzkova (44th).
“Hungry“of titles and”ready” to win the Australian Open again, the 26-year-old Belarusian made short work of the Czech of the same age, despite some slumps, winning in two sets 6-3, 6- 4.
Sabalenka will be opposed in the half to one of the rising stars of Tennis, the Russian Mirra Andreeva17 years old, 16th in the world and number 8 seed in Brisbane. Andreeva won against the Tunisian Our Jabeur in two sets 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), a little earlier Friday.
Determined to maintain its number 1 status, Sabalenka will aim for a third consecutive victory at the Australian Open (January 12-26), a feat that has not been achieved since Martina Hingis between 1997 and 1999.
In Brisbane, the one who also won the 2024 US Open has not yet lost a set. In her first match, she won with authority against the Mexican Renata Zarazúa before continuing against the Kazakh Yulia Putintseva.
Against Bouzkovashe showed some signs of excitement with unusual mistakes, but ended up winning in 1h44. Sabalenka initially struggled to conclude, missing four match points, and it was on her fifth chance, on a winning serve placed to the body, that the best player in the world concluded.
