Aryna Sabalenka showcased her prowess ahead of the Australian Open by storming into the Brisbane International semi-finals with a commanding straight-sets victory over Daria Kasatkina.
Her 6-1, 6-4 triumph against Kasatkina marked her 14th consecutive win on Australian soil, building on her Adelaide triumph leading up to last year’s first Grand Slam.
The Belarusian swiftly secured the first set in just 32 minutes but faced a tougher challenge in the second, breaking Kasatkina once and securing victory after 1 hour and 26 minutes.
“Staying focused was crucial because any lapse would have put me under pressure,” stated the world number two. “My goal was to remain focused and perform my best in every single point.”
Sabalenka will now face compatriot Victoria Azarenka in the semis, potentially setting up a rematch of the 2023 Australian Open final against second seed Elena Rybakina in the Sunday showdown.
Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open winner, prevailed in a marathon match lasting 2 hours and 30 minutes against Jelena Ostapenko, winning 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
Meanwhile, Rybakina advanced to the last four as Anastasia Potapova withdrew due to a stomach problem after conceding the first set 6-1.
Rybakina’s next opponent will be Linda Noskova, who defeated Russian youngster Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-3.
In the men’s event, top seed Holger Rune triumphed over Australian qualifier James Duckworth and will face Roman Safiullin in the semis.
Additionally, Rafael Nadal gears up to play his quarter-final against Jordan Thompson, aiming to face Bulgarian second seed Grigor Dimitrov in the next round if successful.