Aryna Sabalenka cruises past Coco Gauff to reach the Australian Open finals finally exacting her 2023 US Open revenge in straight sets!

Aryna Sabalenka crushes young talent Coco Gauff as the defending champion reaches the finals of the 2024 Australian Open.

Aryna Sabalenka cruises past Coco Gauff to reach the Australian Open finals finally exacting her 2023 US Open revenge in straight sets!

Aryna Sabalenka (Via SuperSport)

The title defense is well and truly alive for World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka. Up against the in-form teen sensation Coco Gauff, the Belarusian proved her worth yet again to reach the finals of the 2024 Australian Open. 

Sabalenka won the tie 7-6(2), 6-4 in a close-fought contest that lasted nearly 2 hours at the Rod Laver Arena. The Belarusian was made to work on the match point as well, and the American fired a perfect forehand down the line to make it 40-40. 

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Sabalenka did not make the mistake of letting slip a match point once again. She showed her composure to wrap up the match on her second match point. Having lost the 2023 US Open finals to Gauff, it was the perfect revenge taken by the Belarusian. 

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Gauff had her moments of magic too but it was all a Sabalenka show tonight. The crowd also looked to be in support of their last year’s champion with one incident leaving the Belarusian smiling mid-serve.

Coco Gauff showed her clutch game in the first set but it wasn’t enough

With the two ladies going out at each other, Sabalenka somehow found a way to take a healthy lead. She raced to lead the first set 5-3, with a certain first-set victory on the cards for her. 

Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff (Via Europsorts)

Gauff, however, brought out her clutch game at the right moment and leveled the score at 5-5. The two then had to play a tiebreaker where the Belarusian did not allow any slip-ups. She easily clinched it with a 7-2 score to draw the first blood. 

The second set was quite balanced between the two, as they were even-steven till 4-4. Sabalenka, however, broke the Americans’ serve in the 9th game. It presented her with the opportunity to serve out the match, and she did not let that opportunity go. 

The 2023 Australian Open champion is now in her third Grand Slam singles final. Already a crowd favorite in Melbourne Park, she would look for more of that support on Saturday when she goes for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup once again. 

The World No. 2 will now take on the winner of the match between Qinwen Zheng and Dayana Yastremska, with both young players eyeing their first Major finals. 

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