Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka took her first step towards defending her title at the Australian Open by outclassing Karolina Muchova and clinching a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 victory in the semifinals of the Brisbane International.
The win marked Sabalenka's third consecutive appearance in the final of this tune-up tournament, where she will face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk for her second straight title. The 20-year-old from Belarus has been on a roll, having defeated reigning Melbourne Park champion Madison Keys in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
Muchova proved to be a tougher opponent than expected, with the Czechwoman pushing Sabalenka to the limit in the first set. However, Sabalenka's powerful game and deft touches from the baseline eventually told, as she broke through for the win on serve. The Belarusian then edged ahead again at 5-4 in the second set, wrapping up the victory on her fourth match point.
"she's a great opponent and I knew that if I gave her that opportunity in the last games, she would take it, and it would be a bit trickier to play," Sabalenka said after the win. "I'm super happy I got the win."
The Australian Open is set to kick off on January 18 at Melbourne Park, where Sabalenka will look to add to her Grand Slam title collection.
Meanwhile, in other news from the Brisbane International and Auckland Classic men's events, Brandon Nakashima beat Aleksandar Kovacevic 7-6(4) 6-4, while Alex Michelsen lost to Daniil Medvedev in a tight semifinal match.
The win marked Sabalenka's third consecutive appearance in the final of this tune-up tournament, where she will face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk for her second straight title. The 20-year-old from Belarus has been on a roll, having defeated reigning Melbourne Park champion Madison Keys in straight sets in the quarterfinals.
Muchova proved to be a tougher opponent than expected, with the Czechwoman pushing Sabalenka to the limit in the first set. However, Sabalenka's powerful game and deft touches from the baseline eventually told, as she broke through for the win on serve. The Belarusian then edged ahead again at 5-4 in the second set, wrapping up the victory on her fourth match point.
"she's a great opponent and I knew that if I gave her that opportunity in the last games, she would take it, and it would be a bit trickier to play," Sabalenka said after the win. "I'm super happy I got the win."
The Australian Open is set to kick off on January 18 at Melbourne Park, where Sabalenka will look to add to her Grand Slam title collection.
Meanwhile, in other news from the Brisbane International and Auckland Classic men's events, Brandon Nakashima beat Aleksandar Kovacevic 7-6(4) 6-4, while Alex Michelsen lost to Daniil Medvedev in a tight semifinal match.
. And what's with all these "third consecutive appearance" claims? Sounds like someone's trying to build her up for nothing. I'll believe it when she actually wins the Grand Slam title... which might not happen even if she does make it to the final 
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! She's on fire right now and I think she's got this Aussie Open thing wrapped up 
. But our Belarussian queen was just too powerful, too precise... like, I don't even know how to explain it 
! Anyway, can't wait to see her take on Marta Kostyuk in the final - should be a real barnburner of a match 
what's up with the aussie open though? only 3 weeks after brisbane international? feels like they're rushing things a bit 
She's got that killer instinct on the court and it's been great to watch her dominate her opponents. I mean, Muchova pushed her hard, but in the end, Sabalenka's game just too much for her. And can we talk about how exciting it is to see a 20-year-old taking over the tennis world? 
. She seems confident after that win, but we'll see if that confidence carries over into the Aussie Open 
. Overall, though, I'm feeling pretty positive about her chances 
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i mean i still dont like pineapple on regular pizza but its def a unique twist 
what do u think of kostyuk tho? should be an interesting final 
She's like a tennis machine 
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. And she's got her sights set on another title in Melbourne... will she be able to make it two in a row? 
this Sabalenka girl is on fire! she's got that game on point and it's scary for the other players out there 
. yeah, she's got power for days, but can she take down the big dogs at Aussie Open? 
gotta keep an eye on this one
!!! She's gonna crush it at the Australian Open and bring home that title for Belarus 
. Muchova was a tough opponent, but Aryna's skills are just too much 
! I'm so hyped for her to take down Marta Kostyuk and defend that title