Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka yesterday surged into the semi-finals and secured a date with big-serving Elena Rybakina, while Karen Khachanov reached the men’s semi-finals.
Jessica Pegula was the highest remaining women’s seed left in Melbourne at No. 3, but the hotly tipped American simply had no answers to Azarenka’s pounding forehand ground-strokes.
Belarus’ Azarenka, whose two Australian Open titles came in 2012 and 2013, rolled back the years in a surprisingly one-sided quarter-final to triumph 6-4, 6-1.
Photo: AFP
The 33-year-old is back in the last four in Melbourne for the first time since her 2013 victory.
“Well, it hurts to beat her because I always want her to do well,” the 24th seed said of Pegula, a close friend and practice partner.
“I am very proud that I executed my game plan really well,” added Azarenka, who had put on a Paris Saint-Germain shirt.
“So amazing to be in another semi-final of a Grand Slam,” said Azarenka, admitting that playing at the 15,000-seat Rod Laver Arena had been “nerve-wracking.”
Asked how her young son Leo would receive his mom’s latest achievement, Azarenka said: “He’s more worried about his football and when we’re going to play again. He definitely wants his mom to be home.”
Leo will have to wait at least a few more days because Azarenka faces Moscow-born Rybakina tomorrow for a place in the final.
Rybakina blasted her way into the semi-finals with a ruthless 6-2, 6-4 win over Jelena Ostapenko.
The 23-year-old sent down 11 aces to blow former French Open champion Ostapenko off court in 79 minutes.
The 22nd seed has blasted 35 aces so far, more than any other woman at the tournament.
Ominously, she said her serve is better now than when she won Wimbledon last year.
“I gained even more power. It’s my weapon on the court and of course we are trying to work on it,” she said. “Always a lot to improve.”
In the men’s singles, the quarter-final between Russia’s Khachanov and Sebastian Korda had been warming up nicely until the American hurt his wrist.
The 18th seed went through when Korda retired in the third set, down 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 3-0.
Khachanov’s reward is a clash with either Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or unseeded Czech Jiri Lehecka for a spot in Sunday’s final.
The 22-year-old Korda, who had been attempting to emulate his father Petr’s Australian Open victory in 1998, said afterward that he could barely hold the racket.
He said he first felt the injury while playing the Adelaide International this month, where he made the final and forced a championship point before being beaten by Novak Djokovic, but it had not bothered him in the opening four rounds at Melbourne Park.
“I had it in Adelaide and then it went away completely. Now it just came back out of nowhere,” he said.
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