Formidable Sabalenka dominates Azarenka, secures spot in DC Open semifinals

Aryna Sabalenka (No. 3) continues her hot streak after defeating Victoria Azarenka (No. 20) 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the semifinals of the Mubadala DC Open. The world No. 3 faced strong resistance from her compatriot but ultimately overcame the tough challenge to reach the last four of the tournament.

The 26-year-old player decided to skip the Olympic Games, and it seems to have been a good choice regarding her performance on hard courts. So far, Sabalenka has not lost a set and is a strong contender for the title. Her next opponent will be Marie Bouzkova (No. 43), who defeated Robin Montgomery (No. 131).

There is much that connects Sabalenka with Azarenka; both Belarusians reached world No. 1 and have won two Grand Slam titles, both at the Australian Open, though nine years apart. Nonetheless, their matches always have a special flavor, considering their past experiences playing doubles together.

At the start of the match, neither player managed to threaten their opponent's serve. Azarenka faced serious problems every time she played with her first serve against Sabalenka's strong returns, especially her forehand. In the 6th game, Sabalenka seized her opportunity and went ahead 4-2.

However, the joy didn't last long for Sabalenka, as Azarenka broke back in the next game. While the 35-year-old was serving at 4-5, she again struggled with her opponent's deep returns, and after a hard-fought game, Sabalenka secured the break on her fourth set point to take the lead 6In Janu

The world No. 3 dominated on serve, winning 81% of her first serves, though she dropped significantly to 36% on her second serve. Similarly, Azarenka won 72% of the points on her first serve but only managed 8% (1/12) on her second.

In the second set, Sabalenka got an early break in the second game. Despite facing issues with her serve, she took a clear 3-0 lead. However, Azarenka was not ready to give up, recovered the break, and leveled the match at 3-3.

Like in the first set, Azarenka was serving at 4-5 and again faltered under the pressure, conceding a single opportunity to Sabalenka, who didn't waste it to secure the victory 6-4, 6-4. In the semifinals, she will face Czech Marie Bouzkova (No. 43).