Reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka continues hat-trick quest at Australian Open, averts Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova test

Two-time reigning Australian Open champion, Aryna Sabalenka is through to the semi-finals of the 2025 Australian Open but not without surviving a stern test from Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who made life difficult for the World No.1.

Sabalenka twice came from a break down in the decider to win 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in one hour and 53 minutes. The second set was the first the Belarusian has dropped in Melbourne since the 2023 final win.

She has reached 10 major semi-finals after claiming this win which hoists her onto the same footing as Maria Sharapova, the last to achieve this feat. Pavlyuchenkova during the clash had every right to be confident going in as she lead the head to head 2-1.

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This included the third round at Roland Garros 2021 as their last meeting albeit that is sort of an anomaly as while Pavlyuchenkova reached the final, she has yet to reach those heights since. Sabalenka since then has made 10 major semi-finals, she had not reached one back then showing the stark rise of the current WTA queen.

Sabalenka has only lost in the last four in a major three times since and all were lessons to achieve future goals in the 2022 Australian Open where she became champion the following year and both Roland Garros heartbreaks which gleamed titles in Melbourne and New York respectively.

While not at her supreme best, Sabalenka has shown the fighting spirit of a defending champion and keeps her quest alive. The next test is one that she will relish too due to her dominance over her in terms of Head to Head while she will play it down due to their friendship.

Instead of Coco Gauff, it will be Paula Badosa who is her best friend off court and ironically has been at the centre of many landmark moments good and bad for Sabalenka in the past year whilst playing her. They face off again in the semi-finals. A final with Iga Swiatek looks very likely at this point and we could yet see the latest chapter.

But can Emma Navarro for instance stop that in its tracks and get her own date with destiny in Melbourne? Those ties will come tomorrow.

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