Aryna Sabalenka ends Magda Linette's shock run at the Australian Open and sets up a women's singles final with Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. Day 11 as it happened.
Earlier there was more Novak Djokovic drama, with the star's father appearing to have been filmed standing with spectators who were carrying a banned Russian flag
Day 11 at the Open, as it happened.
Key events
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Sabalenka storms into final with Rybakina
By Paul Johnson
Expect this year's Australian Open women's singles final to be full of power hitting after Aryna Sabalenka overcame plucky Pole Magda Linette 7-6 (7/1), 6-2.
The win puts Sabalenka into her first slam final, where she will face reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who earlier defeated Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
Unseeded Pole, Linette, had the best grand slam run of her career and was hoping to become just the third woman in the Open era to win the Australian Open as an unseeded player.
Her campaign came crashing to a halt against the fifth-seeded Belarusian, who is yet to drop a set this year, making it 20 in a row with this win.
Linette though gave it her best shot to stop Sabalenka's dominant summer and even started the better of the two players as she raced to an early break and 2-0 lead before Sabalenka broke back in the fourth game of the match.
The pair then traded holds for much of the set and Linette withstood a Sabalenka barrage at 5-6, 0-30 down to force a tiebreak.
But that would be the beginning of the end.
Sabalenka fired up her power game, increasing her speed of shot, to take the breaker 7-1.
Sabalenka said the tiebreaker was the turning point.
"I would say that I didn't start really well," Sabalenka said.
"In the tiebreak, I kind of found my rhythm and just started trusting myself, started going for the shots ... it was great tennis from me on the tie break."
It was a harbinger of things to come in the second set.
Ever the great frontrunner, Sabalenka loosened her shoulders in the second, and simply overwhelmed and overpowered Linette.
Linette managed to save two match points at 2-5 but it mattered not and only delayed the inevitable as Sabalenka served it out in the next game to book a place in her first Australian Open singles final.
Sabalenka takes opening set
By Paul Johnson
Aryna Sabalenka fought back from an early break down to win the opening set of her women's singles semifinal with Magda Linette in a tiebreak.
The fifth-seeded Belarusian all power as she looked to bludgeon the unseeded Pole off the court.
Linette had other ideas and started with the break of serve but even when Sabalenka broke back, Linette held firm.
Especially when serving at 5-6 she fought back from 0-30 down while serving to stay in the set and managed to force a tiebreak with a backhand winner that was heading wide, before the net cord brought it in.
The Pole raised her hands in the air to say sorry knowing she had lucked-in to the breaker.
Come that tiebreaker though, the Sabalenka power game dominated.
Ruthless groundstrokes followed brutal serves, there was even a second serve ace to give Sabalenka a 5-0 lead.
It was unassailable and although Sabalenka could not give Linette a breaker bagel, she took it 7-1.
It's going to be hard for Linette to come back from here against a player she has never beaten.
The Sabalenka power is overwhelming
By Paul Johnson
Aryna Sabalenka looked nervous to start this one being broken in the opening game but how things have changed.
Sabalenka has now reeled off three straight games to lead 3-2 and she is straight-up bludgeoning the tennis ball.
Her power is unnerving Magda Linette, who is playing well, but the second she doesn't move Sabalenka around the Belarusian is brutalising the ball and taking the point away from her.
Linette has had an amazing tournament but with Sabalenka in this sort of form and mood it's hard to see her winning, unless she takes all the pace away from Sabalenka and forces Sabalenka to make all her own.
She just did that in her service game and it's now 3-all.
Sabalenka v Linette is next
By Paul Johnson
Who you got tennis fans?
I'm tipping Sabalenka in two if she can control her yips on serve.
She's won their last two encounters with ease but Linette has shown she is a different player this summer and is looking to become just the third woman to win the Australian Open unseeded.
The others: Australia's Chris O'Neil and Serena Williams.
Rybakina first into women's final
By Paul Johnson
Another day, another dream crushed by the power game of Elena Rybakina.
The Wimbledon champion adding Victoria Azarenka's name to an impressive list of scalps at this Australian Open with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 victory.
Azarenka joining other slam champions Iga Swiatek and Jelena Ostapenko on the scrapheap Rybakina is piling high.
Azarenka used all of her considerable experience to stay with Rybakina in the opening set.
She fought back from 5-3 down to force a tiebreak as her much steadier game got her back into it as errors came from Rybakina.
But come the breaker it was Azarenka who made unforced errors at a crucial time and let the set slip.
It was the beginning of the end.
Emboldened further with her lead, Rybakina swung from the hip and dominated the second set with her power-hitting.
A break of Azarenka in the third game laying the platform -- and when Azarenka's serve came under pressure at 2-4 -- a pair of double faults gave Rybakina the lead she needed to finish the match.
She needed two games to do it and gave up a break back before then breaking Azarenka to take the match and advance to her first Australian Open final.
All on Rybakina's racquet
By Paul Johnson
There's no doubt Victoria Azarenka will fight to the end in this one but the big question remains can she blunt Rybakina's power?
The Kazakh simply has not come off her level in this one and her easy power is yanking Azarenka all around the court.
She took the break in the second set early too and it's hard to see Azarenka being able to swing the match right now.
Cheering? In the press box?
By Paul Johnson
I don't know who i'm going for. Any swaying on your end?...
- Natty
Hey Natty,
Taking my impartiality hat off for a second I would like to see Vika do it, I think it would be cool 10 years after the fact but I don't see that happening right now.
Rybakina roars back to take opening set from Azarenka
By Paul Johnson
She may have been broken early but Elena Rybakina has roared back to take the opening set from Victoria Azarenka in a tiebreak.
Azarenka broke Rybakina for a 3-2 lead, it was against the run of play at the time as Rybakina had been dominating on serve up until that point.
It mattered not as Rybakina broke straight back and won three games in a row to take a 5-3 lead.
Azarenka managed to save a set point there, before she broke back for 4-5.
She then levelled up at 5-all and seemed set to take an important break but squandered three straight break points as Rybakina hit out to get out of trouble as Rybakina reeled off five straight points.
Azarenka forced a tiebreak and during it the trend for the set continued.
Rybakina going for winners and stretching Azarenka, who tried to be the more steady player.
But at 2-3 a double fault from Azarenka and a loose forehand put her down 5-2, her steady game imploding when it mattered most as consecutive unforced errors cost her the tiebreak.
Rybakina breaks straight back
By Paul Johnson
That didn't last long and as ever the points were on the Rybakina racquet.
It seems that will be the way this one goes, with the Kazakh going for more, while Azarenka plays the steadier game.
Rybakina now leads 4-3.
Azarenka breaks!
By Paul Johnson
Well that was a little unexpected.
Rybakina had been cruising early and dominating the points but a couple of unforced errors and then some deep returns from Azarenka set her up for a break point.
Rybakina came in and drew Azarenka forward but the veteran got the job done at the net for the early break.
She leads 3-2.
Acefest early
By Paul Johnson
That thing I said about the Rybakina serve doing incredible damage?
Well it did not take long for it to do just that.
The Wimbledon champ opened the match up with a double fault but then held serve by hitting three aces on the next four points.
Azarenka grabbed one in her own service game but the power of Rybakina caused her some problems before she held.
Ryakina then held to love for a 2-1 lead and she looks the more dominant player early.
Players on court
By Paul Johnson
Both women on court now and seemed to me the louder cheer was for the Wimbledon champion.
Would have thought the former champ here would get the warmer welcome but it seemed not.
One fan behind Azarenka
By Paul Johnson
Azarenka is in beautiful form. Would love to see her join the club of women who have become champions after having a baby. It’s a very exclusive club.
- Kim
She sure is Kim,
Destroyed Pegula in the quarters, her main challenge here is going to be dealing with the Rybakina serve.
It would also be fitting if she joined the club.
While we're waiting...
By Paul Johnson
Keen to hear your thoughts on anything from tonight's matches to if Djokovic can be stopped and his father's video.
Or even the Aussie lads making the men's doubles final.
Azarenka looks to go back to the future
By Paul Johnson
Victoria Azarenka will have at least her countrywoman Aryna Sabalenka in her corner when she steps onto Rod Laver Arena tonight.
Azarenka is looking to make her first final at Melbourne Park in a decade, after lifting the title here in 2012 and 2013 when she was on top of the tennis world.
No grand slams have come since.
She lost US Open finals in those years and again in 2020 but Sabalenka wants Azarenka to get there so she can hopefully set up the chance of an historic all-Belarusian final.
Speaking about the prospect of facing Azarenka in the Melbourne final, Sabalenka said: "It would be history and be unbelievable.
"I really want it to happen. I know that Vika will do everything she can to make it happen. I will do everything I can to make it happen."
For it to be a chance Azarenka will have to blunt the raw power of Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
The Russian-born Kazakh has been serving incredibly well this tournament and claimed the big scalps of world number one Iga Swiatek and last year's runner-up Danielle Collins.
Azarenka too has claimed big victories, knocking off top 10-ranked Americans Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula in impressive fashion.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Rybakina leads 1-0
2022 Indian Wells (hard) Rybakina def Azarenka 6-3, 6-4
ROAD TO THE SEMIS - AZARENKA
- Rd 1 def Kenin (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
- Rd 2 def Podoroska (ARG) 6-1, 6-0
- Rd 3 def 10 Keys (USA) 1-6, 6-2, 6-1
- Rd 4 def Zhu (CHN) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
- QF def 3 Pegula (USA) 6-4, 6-1
ROAD TO THE SEMIS - RYBAKINA
- Rd 1 def Cocciaretto (ITA) 7-5, 6-3
- Rd 2 def Juvan (SLV) 6-2, 6-1
- Rd 3 def 13 Collins (USA) 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
- Rd 4 def 1 Swiatek (POL) 6-4, 6-4
- QF def 17 Ostapenko (LAT) 6-2, 6-4
Another day, another Djoker drama
By Paul Johnson
Does it ever go away?
This time Novak Djokovic's superb tennis this Australian Open is threatening to be overshadowed by his father.
Srdjan Djokovic, appears to have been filmed standing with spectators who were carrying a banned Russian flag at the Australian Open.
The flag in the video includes an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
One of the men in the video is wearing a T-shirt with the symbol "Z", which is an emblem representing support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
No comment from Novak as yet.
Aussies into men's doubles final
By Paul Johnson
Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler have almost replicated the run of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis last year.
All they have to do is win one more match.
The pair wasted little time in defeating eighth-seeded pair Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-4, 6-2.
They will play Monaco's Hugo Nys and Poland's Jan Zielinski in the final.
Welcome to women's semifinal night at the Australian Open
By Paul Johnson
What a night it should be as two grand slam winners kick it off.
One is recent, Elena Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champion.
The other, Victoria Azarenka hasn't been to a slam final since 2020 and not won one since the 2013 Australian Open.
Later Aryna Sabalenka and Magda Linette will both look to make their first grand slam final.
As always please shoot through any questions on any topic.
