World number one Aryna Sabalenka secured her spot in the Brisbane International semifinals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Marie Bouzkova. The top-seeded Belarusian showed resilience after a shaky start, with Bouzkova breaking her serve early in the match. However, Sabalenka regrouped, winning the first set in 51 minutes before taking the second set in 53 minutes to seal her place in the final four.
Sabalenka will face 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals, who advanced with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) win over former world number two Ons Jabeur. The two players have met before at the 2024 French Open, where Andreeva pulled off a major upset by defeating Sabalenka in three sets to become the youngest player since Martina Hingis in 1997 to reach a Grand Slam semifinal.
In her post-match comments, Sabalenka reflected on her win against Bouzkova, acknowledging the difficulty of facing the Czech player. Sabalenka had lost to Bouzkova in Washington earlier but came into this match focused and aggressive, which allowed her to finish in straight sets. The Belarusian also expressed respect for Andreeva, noting their recent exhibition match in Abu Dhabi and sharing her excitement for their upcoming semifinal clash.
The other women’s singles semifinal will feature Russia’s Polina Kudermetova against Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina, setting the stage for a competitive finish to the Brisbane tournament.
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