World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka is through to the semi-finals of the Australian Open as she defeated teenager Iva Jovic 6-3,6-0 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Sabalenka started the match very strongly, quickly taking a 3–0 lead in the first set. Jovic had to fight hard just to hold her serve in the fourth game, which helped her settle into the match.
The teenager, playing in her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal, used her speed and movement to put pressure on her more experienced opponent and cause some problems. Even so, Sabalenka stayed in control and wrapped up the first set in under an hour with her powerful hitting and aggressive play.
In the second set, the 27-year-old raised her level even more. She broke Jovic’s serve in the very first game with a sharp cross-court winner and never looked back. Sabalenka continued to dominate from the baseline, creating chances on Jovic’s serve and taking two more break points.
With her experience and confidence, the four-time Grand Slam champion sealed a comfortable win.
Addressing the media in a press conference, Aryna complimented the 18-year-old’s tennis skills on court and had to give it her all to win.
“These teenagers are testing me in the last couple of rounds.
“She’s an incredible player, it was a tough match – don’t look at the score, it wasn’t easy at all. I’m super happy with the win, it was a tough battle.”
Sabalenka will play Elina Svitolina on Thursday in the semi-finals. The two players have met six times on the WTA Tour, and Sabalenka has won five of those matches. She first beat Svitolina at the 2018 Wuhan Open, while Svitolina recorded her only win against Sabalenka at the 2020 Strasbourg tournament.
Sabalenka has been the stronger player, defeating Svitolina at the 2023 French Open , at the WTA 1000 tournaments in Rome and Cincinnati in 2024.
