© Darrian Traynor / Stringer Getty Images Sport
Aryna Sabalenka got her sporting revenge against Coco Gauffbeating the young American tennis player in straight sets and reaching the final of the Australian Open 2024. The Belarusian player had been defeated twice by her young rival, always in a Slam semifinal, at the Roland Garros 2022 and at the US Open 2023.
The WTA No.2, defending champion in Australia, once again today, had to face numerous ups and downs, to win an unspectacular match full of errors. Sabalenka was able to ward off the ghosts while maintaining her composure even after some serious mistakes and dangerous reversals in front.
Someone yelled out ‘Come on Sabalenka’ right before Aryna was about to serve.
She lets out a smile. ❤️
pic.twitter.com/GR1H4i4fbS — The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 25, 2024
The defending champion thus reached the second consecutive final at the Australian Open (the last one to do so was Serena Williams between 2016 and 2017 – ed.), taking personal revenge on Coco Gauff with a score of 7-6 (2 ), 6 -4.
Her thirteenth consecutive success recorded in Melbourne allowed her to win the third Slam final of her career: now she awaits the winner of the match between Qinwen Zheng and Dayana Yastremska.
The match
The match opened with two breaks: Sabalenka did not confirm the advantage due to a bad volley.
At 3-2, the Belarusian regained her confidence and with a lethal smash she broke Gauff’s defenses again. With her back against the wall, the young American reacted and exploited her opponent’s weaknesses. Sabalenka served for the set in the ninth game, but at 30-30 she lost her way, hitting a double fault and sending a comfortable forehand to the net.
Gauff saved a set point in the next game by relying on a first winner and surprised Sabalenka again in response, guilty of having exaggerated with the forehand on the break point. Gauff also felt the tension in the key moment and completely lost control of his forehand at 6-5.
Only the tie-break decreed the first verdict; a tiebreaker dominated by Sabalenka 7-2. Evidence of the Belarusian’s growth materialized in the second half.
Never troubled by serving, Sabalenka wasted many opportunities in a bad way and risked compromising everything. A bad volley and a forced return for no real reason prevented her from breaking Gauff in the first and seventh games respectively. At 4-4, Sabalenka led the decisive assault, winning the tough duel on the backhand diagonal.