Aryna Sabalenka is through to the Australian Open final after a thrilling straight-sets victory over Coco Gauff.
The defending champion earned revenge for September’s US Open final defeat to the American as her attacking play prevailed against Gauff’s resilience in securing a 7-6 6-4 victory.
Sabalenka is still yet to drop a set this tournament but was pushed hard by Gauff in a tense clash between two reigning grand slam champions that lived up to its heavyweight billing.
Gauff had battled back from 5-2 in the first set to serve for the opener but Sabalenka’s response was superb as she broke back before winning the tiebreak.
Sabalenka will face Qinwen Zheng in Saturday’s final after the 12th seed defeated Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska 6-4 6-4 to reach her first grand slam final.
There was a sense of history repeating itself as Coco Gauff halted Aryna Sabalenka’s relentless attacking play and broke level in their Australian Open semi-final.
After surviving the early onslaught from Sabalenka’s forehand wing, Gauff turned the reigning champion against herself: stretching her defences wide to crack a glimpse at Sabalenka’s vulnerabilities.
But as Gauff served for the first set, Sabalenka’s response highlighted the immense improvements she has made in the mental aspects of her game in the past 12 months: she overcame Gauff as well as her demons in striking back to win 7-6 6-4 and return to the Australian Open final.
In the end, it was Sabalenka’s unrelenting power that triumphed over Gauff’s resilience in a heavyweight semi-final clash between two grand slam champions that lived up to its billing.
But there were moments at the end of the first set that suggested the Gauff’s gameplan that proved so effective in coming from a set down to beat Sabalenka in September’s US Open final was going to work again.
Sabalenka’s errors were beginning to mount as Gauff’s defensive wall stood strong on the baseline but the Belarusian regained her composure, steadied her game and attacked Gauff with the same clear and clinical intent that has fuelled her return to the Melbourne final.
The defending champion regained her composure at the end of the first set as she defeated Gauff 7-6 6-4 and return to the Australian Open final, where she will play Qinwen Zheng on Saturday.
Zheng defeated Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska 6-4 6-4 in the semi-finals and the Chinese player is looking to replicate childhood idol and 2014 Australian Open champion Li Na with victory in Melbourne.
