Aryna
Sabalenka defeated Daria Kasatkina in the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 Brisbane
International with a score of 6-1, 6-4, continuing her excellent form in her
first tournament of the season. The Belarusian will face her compatriot and
former world No. 1, Victoria Azarenka, in the semifinals.
The
champion of the 2023
Australian Open did not hide her joy after the match and
was surprised during the on-court interview to learn that the British actor,
nominated for several Golden Globe and Academy Awards, Jude Law, attended to
watch Sabalenka's match. The current world No. 2 had a playful response:
"Wow. Thanks for not telling me that," she said.
Sabalenka
in a Semifinal Streak
The
beginning of the season is never easy for tennis players in their initial
tournaments, especially those using them as preparation for the Australian
Open, where they are still seeking to regain their competitive rhythm. In
Sabalenka's case, returning from the off-season doesn't seem to be a problem,
and once again, she has shown that she starts the year at her best.
The former
world No. 1 has had no issues in her early matches, conceding only 9 games in
the three matches played until the semifinals. In the first round, she overcame
the Italian Lucia Bronzetti (No. 56) with a score of 6-3, 6-0. In the second
round, she displayed a superb level to defeat the 15th seed Zhu Lin (No. 33)
comfortably with a score of 6-1, 6-0. This time, her victory was against the
5th seed Daria Kasatkina (No.18) with a score of 6-1, 6-4, setting up a clash
with compatriot Azarenka.
Sabalenka's
Point Defense
The
Belarusian had little room for error at the beginning of the year, considering
that in 2023, she started by winning the WTA 500 Adelaide International and
then secured her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open. Thus, she defends
2500 points this month alone and cannot approach Swiatek yet in the race for
the No. 1 spot. Sabalenka will have to defend her title in Australia to
maintain her position, facing stiff competition from the in-form Elena Rybakina
and Coco Gauff, who, with good results, can quickly narrow the gap with the
Belarusian.