World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka reached the semi-finals of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane, beating the Czech Marie Bouzkova (44th) in straight sets (6-3, 6-4), Friday in the Australian city.
Sabalenka (26 years old) will be opposed in the half to one of the rising stars of Tennis, the Russian Mirra Andreeva, 17 years old, 16th in the world and seeded N.8 in Brisbane, who beat the Tunisian Ons Jabeur in straight sets (6- 4, 7-6), a little earlier Friday.
Determined to maintain her No.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 Zaraza before continuing against the Kazakh Yulia Putintseva.
Against Bouzkova, she showed some signs of nervousness with unusual mistakes, but ended up winning in 1h44. Sabalenka initially struggled to finish, 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.
