Aryna Sabalenka moved one win away from becoming the first woman since 1999 to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, recovering from a slow start to beat good friend Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 Thursday night to return to the final.
Just 10 minutes in, the No. 1-ranked Sabalenka was down a break and trailed 2-0, 40-love. She kept making unforced errors, shaking her head or gesturing toward her team after many.
