- Defending Champion moves into the final
- Belarusian overcomes nerves to edge out Gauff
- Zheng reaches first Grand Slam final with win over Yastremska
Aryna Sabalenka has maintained her course to defend her Australian Open title after securing a spot in the Melbourne final by avenging her defeat against Coco Gauff in last year’s US Open final.
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Sabalenka comes through tie break before grabbing control in second set
In a tense semi-final match, Belarusian second seed Sabalenka clinched victory with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 win over American fourth seed Gauff. The encounter saw both players displaying edgy performances, marked by errors, especially in the first set, which witnessed six breaks before Sabalenka seized control in the latter stages of the second set.
Sabalenka’s opponent in Saturday’s final will be Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen, who reached her maiden Grand Slam final by halting Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska’s remarkable run with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph in the second semi-final on Thursday.
Zheng, aged 21, is vying to emulate Li Na’s historic victory and become the second Chinese woman to claim the Australian Open singles title, coincidentally on the 10th anniversary of Li’s triumph.
Australian Open Betting
Sabalenka is clear favourite to win. At the time of writing, she is priced at 1/5 with bet365, with Zheng priced at 19/5.
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