Elina Svitolina produced a dominant performance to dismantle Coco Gauff and book a semi-final clash with world number one Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open.
Sabalenka continued her title charge with a commanding 6-3 6-0 victory over teenager Iva Jovic, maintaining her pursuit of a third Melbourne crown in four years.
Sabalenka’s ‘trophy or nothing’ mentality
The Belarusian said her mindset remains focused solely on winning the title.
“I think that it’s unbelievable what I was able to achieve,” Sabalenka said.
“Focusing on the right things definitely helps a lot with the consistency.”
She has now reached 14 semi-finals in her last 17 Grand Slam appearances.
Gauff suffers heavy quarter-final defeat
Third seed Gauff endured a difficult outing, losing 6-1 6-2 in just 59 minutes.
The American served five double faults, committed 26 unforced errors and managed only three winners during the match.
Frustration was evident as she smashed her racquet after the defeat.
Svitolina sets up Sabalenka showdown
Svitolina’s clinical display ensured a high-profile semi-final against Sabalenka.
Despite holding a 5-1 head-to-head record over the Ukrainian, Sabalenka will be cautious after Svitolina’s impressive showing.
The match promises to be one of the highlights of the tournament.
Historic consistency for world number one
Sabalenka has become only the third woman in 38 years to reach eight consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals.
She joins Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis in achieving the milestone.
Her winning run in 2026 now stands at 10 matches without dropping a set.
Extreme heat tests players in Melbourne
The quarter-final between Sabalenka and Jovic was played in temperatures exceeding 40°C.
The heat stress scale reached critical levels, forcing the roof to be closed on Rod Laver Arena.
Organisers kept the roof shut for the remainder of the day’s matches.
Jovic praises Sabalenka’s mental strength
Despite her defeat, Jovic spoke highly of Sabalenka’s development.
“I think the way she’s been able to turn negative things into motivation is amazing,” Jovic said.
The teenager described the world number one as “very inspiring”.
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