Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Tuesday January 21, 2025 at 11:28 a.m.
Still undefeated in Melbourne for two years, Aryna Sabalenka qualified for a third consecutive semi-final this Tuesday. The world number 1, who had not lost a set since the final of her first title in the tournament, in 2023, however suffered against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who forced her to play a final round (6-2, 2-6, 6-3).
Like the reed, Aryna Sabalenka bent but without breaking, this Tuesday during her quarter-final against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. While the Belarusian has not suffered defeat at the Australian Open for two years, the Russian has not come that far from a colossal feat against the double title holder. Certainly, the world number 1 and huge favorite for the title again was able to quickly set the record straight in the third and final round when she found herself in a very unfortunate position against the Russian. However, she hadn’t trembled like that for a while, and inevitably scared herself before managing to resume her march forward and thus validate – in three sets (6-2, 2- 6, 6-3) and after almost two hours of play (1h52) – his ticket for a third consecutive semi-final in Melbourne.
-Sabalenka had not lost a set in Melbourne since her first title
To see this Sabalenka who had not lost a single set in the tournament since her victory in the final against Rybakina in 2023 during her first coronation in the tournament (her first in a Grand Slam as well) and had still not left any hanging on the way since the start of the season to sweep away the 32nd place in the rankings in a first set dispatched in thirty minutes, it seemed however that this quarter-final was going to lead to a new demonstration from the Belarusian. The latter, who continued her impressive series of victories in Melbourne on Tuesday (nineteen in a row now), was not yet at the end of her troubles. Strongly hampered in particular by the wind which swept (sometimes violently) the Rod Laver Arena, the world number 1 experienced a big drop in speed and gave up the second round with the same score as that with which she had swept her opponent in the first. Donna Vekic’s crush didn’t stop there.
A semi-final against her best friend on the circuit
Feeling at this moment in the game that there was a move to play against this Sabalenka then in the middle of a storm, probably in her head but also on the court, the Russian who had been knocked out from the start in Adelaide at the start of year broke the double title holder from the outset in the last set. The Belarusian then seemed on the edge of the precipice, before finding the resources to return to the fight and dictate her law until the end of the match to Pavlyuchenkova after compensating twice in quick succession for her late break. Victorious in the Brisbane tournament (losing only one set, in the final against Kudermetova) during her first tournament of the season, just before this Australian Open which she approached with the wish of achieving the hat-trick, the mistress of the place has wavered but remains in the race. Her third semi-final in a row in Melbourne, she will play against the Spaniard Paula Badosa, her best friend on the circuit.
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