World number two, Aryna Sabalenka, secured her place in the Australian Open final by defeating Coco Gauff on Thursday, January 25, maintaining her pursuit of a successful title defence.

The Belarusian, aged 25, triumphed over the fourth seed of 7-6, 6-4, during a one hour and 42-minute match at Rod Laver Arena.

This victory marked Sabalenka's retaliation for her loss to the American teenager in last year's US Open final.

Aryna Sabalenka reacts during the match against Coco Gauff. Photo: Will Murray and Robert Prange. — Aryna Sabalenka reacts during the semi-final singles match against Coco Gauff at Melbourne Park, Australia. Photo: Will Murray and Robert Prange.
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She is now set to face either Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen or Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the final on Saturday, January 27.

She also joins the ranks of Serena Williams as the first player since 2016 and 2017 to reach consecutive Australian Open finals. No one has successfully defended the women's title at Melbourne Park since Victoria Azarenka in 2013.

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Reflecting on her motivation for the match, Sabalenka mentioned her desire for revenge after her defeat by Gauff at Flushing Meadows.

The Belarusian acknowledged the challenge posed by Gauff but expressed her enjoyment of the competition and hopes for more finals in the future.

“I was able to focus on myself. I was prepared that she would move well and put all the balls back, and I was just ready for anything. It's always a great fight (against Gauff). She's a great player, and I enjoy playing her. I hope that in the future we will play many more finals, she said, as quoted by Reuters.

Playing under a closed roof due to rain, Sabalenka dominated the opening serve and quickly broke Gauff, who struggled with double faults. Despite a brief setback where Sabalenka lost composure and dropped four consecutive games, she rallied to force a tiebreak, which she dominated to secure the first set.

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The second set saw a more typical rhythm, with both players holding their serves until the ninth game when Sabalenka intensified the pressure. Breaking Gauff's serve, Sabalenka sealed the victory at 5-4 and booked her spot in the Melbourne Park final.

Looking ahead, Novak Djokovic is poised to face Jannik Sinner for a chance to advance to the Australian Open final. Djokovic, aiming for his 11th title and a record 25th Grand Slam crown, remains determined to maintain his 33-match unbeaten streak at Melbourne Park, undeterred by the change in match time and the cooler forecast on Friday, January 26.

Djokovic did not compete in the 2022 event due to his coronavirus vaccination status, as reported by the BBC.