Aryna Sabalenka battled through “unbelievable” windy conditions Tuesday to reach the Melbourne semifinals and keep her dream of an Australian Open hat trick alive.
The world No. 1 faces Spain’s Paula Badosa for a place in the final after grinding past Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 at Rod Laver Arena.
“The conditions were unbelievable. The wind was so strong. It was very difficult for both of us,” said Sabalenka, who can become the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1999 to win the Australian Open three years in a row.
If she does, she will join a select group of five women who have completed the Melbourne three-peat. The others are Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.
“I’m really happy that I put myself in this situation where I have the opportunity to become one of them,” said Sabalenka.
“To be next to those names, wow, that’s just a dream.”
The 11th seed Badosa earlier stunned world No. 3 Coco Gauff in straight sets to reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the age of 27.
“She’s a great player and she has been through a lot. Now she’s back on her best game. I’m really happy to see that,” said Sabalenka of Badosa, who a year ago almost quit tennis because of a chronic back condition.
Sabalenka’s 19th win in a row at Melbourne Park turned into a battle for survival in increasingly blustery conditions.
‘Embarrassing’
The Belarusian had looked like she might run away with the quarterfinal when she did not face a break point in the opening set.
Pavlyuchenkova, the 27th seed, admitted she found the early going difficult.
“I just felt like, wow, I’m completely off,” said Pavlyuchenkova, who was the oldest woman left in the draw at age 33.
“I thought, oh my God, it’s just embarrassing. I cannot really play tennis.
“Then I was happy with the way I fought back.”
Only eight of 50 rallies in the first set lasted longer than four shots and only one went beyond nine as winners were peppered with errors.
Pavlyuchenkova turned the match on its head in the second set to force a third.
The first four games of the decider all went against serve as both players struggled to keep the ball in court.
“Honestly I was just praying, trying to put the ball back in these tough conditions,” said Sabalenka.
“We both were, it was difficult to play.”
In the eighth game, Sabalenka made the decisive move, breaking for 5-3 and going on to clinch the match in 1 hour 53 minutes.
Standing in Sabalenka’s path to her third final will be Badosa, who shattered Gauff’s dream of a first Australian Open title with a 7-5, 6-4 win.
She is the first Spanish woman into a major semifinal since Garbine Muguruza, also at Melbourne, in 2020.
It has been a remarkable comeback for Badosa, who was ranked outside the Top 100 a year ago after a stress fracture in her back.
“I mean, a year ago, I was here with my back and I didn’t know if I had to retire from this sport, and now I’m here playing against the best in the world,” said Badosa.
“I’m in a semifinal, I would never think that a year ago.”