Top seed Sabalenka previously described Badosa as her “soulmate” but she successfully put aside their off-court relationship to continue her pursuit of a third successive triumph at Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka, winner of both the Australian Open and US Open last year, quickly went a break down against Badosa, and the Spaniard was within a point of taking a 3-0 lead.
But Sabalenka emphatically hit back, winning 12 of the next 16 games to record her 20th straight victory at the tournament.
The two barely exchanged a glance as they focused on their respective tasks but, in a rare glimpse into their friendship, they shared relieved smiles after Badosa fell early in the second set before raising a reassuring thumb as she lay on the court.
What started as a fiercely-contested match began to drift away from first-time major semi-finalist Badosa when she gifted Sabalenka control of set two, conceding a break of serve with back-to-back double faults
-Another in the fifth game then allowed Sabalenka to break for a second time with one of her 32 winners, before she served out victory in one hour and 26 minutes.
Sabalenka, later seen consoling Badosa in the players’ area, said: “It was a super tough match against a friend, I’m super happy to see her at her highest level.”
Belgium
