Sabalenka ends Jovic’s dream run, reaches fourth straight Aus Open semifinal
Melbourne: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ended the 18-year-old American Iva Jovic’s dream run, securing a 6-3, 6-0 win to reach her fourth consecutive Australian Open semifinal on Tuesday.
Sabalenka is the only player still standing in the women’s field to have previously lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. With her place in a fourth consecutive Melbourne semifinal, the top seed has reached the last four at a major for the 14th time.
In a dominant display, the top seed struck 31 winners to Jovic’s 12 and won 61 per cent of points on the 29th seed’s second serve.
Jovic at 18 was the youngest player to reach the last eight at the Australian Open without dropping a set since Venus Williams in 1998.
Sabalenka, who is yet to drop a set, will face either No. 3 seed Coco Gauff or No. 12 seed Elina Svitolina next.
In the pair’s first-ever meeting, Sabalenka immediately exerted her authority by pouncing on Jovic’s second serves to break and quickly consolidated for a 3-0 lead.
Jovic prevented herself from falling to an even bigger deficit. Her stunning ball-striking troubled Sabalenka.
Serving for the set at 5-3, the top seed saved one break point before Jovic fended off a first set point. The four-time major champion saved another two break points with her trusty serve and set up a second set point with a cracking forehand winner down the line, only to be denied when Jovic returned her serve, the Australian Open reports.
Sabalenka then struck a brilliant backhand to earn a third set point and pummelled another backhand down the line to claim the set.
In the second set, Sabalenka surged to an early lead, placing yet another backhand winner, leading her to break in the 29th seed’s opening service game.
Sabalenka then gained an insurance break and a 3-0 lead, then held to love to put the match within two games of its conclusion. The 29th seed, Jovic, benefited from a double fault donation from Sabalenka and produced winners off both wings to earn a pair of break points as the top-seeded rival served for the match.
Sabalenka saved the two serves and seconds later claimed victory and a semifinal berth with an ace out wide on match point.