By Alberto Amalfi | Thursday, January 5, 2023
Aryna Sabalenka beat Marketa Vondrousova for the fourth time in a row, 6-3, 7-5, to advance to the Adelaide International semifinals.
Photo credit: Mark Brake/Getty
Aryna Sabalenka is sticking landings with confidence in soaring to the Adelaide final four.
The second-seeded Sabalenka defeated Marketa Vondrousova, 6-3, 7-5, to advance to the Adelaide International semifinals.
More: Martina Navratilova Diagnosed with Cancer
It was Sabalenka's fourth straight win over the Olympic silver medalist, including her second straight triumph over the Czech on Australian soil. Sabalenka stopped Vondrousova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 at the 2022 Australian Open.
A year ago, Sabalenka's self-sabotaging serve was a big story Down Under.
The big-serving Belarusian clanked a combined 39 double faults in her two opening-round losses at Adelaide events last January.
This time around, Sabalenka is stinging the serve with much more command.
In two tournament wins, Sabalenka has smacked 17 aces and hit 10 double faults.
The Sabalenka serve helped her play first-strike tennis as she broke for 4-2 and served out the opening set at love.
Former Wimbledon semifinalist Sabalenka broke serve three times taking the second set.
Sabalenka raised her career record to 196-96. The Belarusian, who is also through to the doubles semifinal, will play either fourth-seeded Veronika Kudermetova or Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu for a place in the final.
World No. 5 Sabalenka is through to her seventh semifinal in the last 13 months with four of the seven semifinals coming on hard courts.