World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka secured a 6-3, 6-0 victory over 18-year-old American Iva Jovic, advancing to her fourth consecutive Australian Open semifinal. Sabalenka, the only remaining player in the women’s field who has previously won the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, has now reached the semifinals at a major tournament for the 14th time.
In a dominant performance, Sabalenka hit 31 winners compared to Jovic’s 12 and won 61% of points on Jovic’s second serve. Jovic, at 18, became the youngest player since Venus Williams in 1998 to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals without dropping a set.
Sabalenka, who has yet to lose a set in the tournament, will face either No. 3 seed Coco Gauff or No. 12 seed Elina Svitolina in the next round. In their first encounter, Sabalenka quickly took control by breaking Jovic’s serve and establishing a 3-0 lead.
Jovic displayed impressive shot-making skills that troubled Sabalenka, but the top seed managed to close out the set at 5-3 after saving break points. Sabalenka’s powerful backhand shots helped her secure the set. In the second set, Sabalenka continued her dominance by breaking Jovic early and building a 3-0 lead.
Sabalenka maintained her advantage, eventually sealing the match with an ace on match point to secure a spot in the semifinals.
