The first semi-final of the 2024 Australian Open has been dubbed as the final before the final, with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka setting up a sensational final with American teenager star Coco Gauff.
Gauff battled to beat Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in three sets in Melbourne to win 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (4-7) 6-2, making 51 unforced errors in three hours.
“Today was frustrating because I knew how I needed to play. I just couldn’t execute … Eventually I was able to find it, which is what I’m proud of. Problem solving is tennis!”
2024 Australian Open Semi-Finalist, Coco Gauff
“You could play someone today and maybe a week later they’ll play you, completely different. It’s a part of it. At the end of the day, you’re given a scouting report, but you have to go with feeling. That’s what I did today.”
Sabalenka brushed aside Barbora Krejcikova 6-2 6-3 win to set up a repeat of September’s exciting US Open final, in which Gauff came back from a set down to win a first major title.
“I think it was a really great match today. I played really great tennis. “I really hope that I can keep playing that way, or even better.”
2023 Australian Open Defending Champion, Aryna Sabalenka
Gauff is on a bid to become the first women’s player since Naomi Osaka three years ago to win back-to-back majors, and is now on a 10-match winning streak at the start the season.
The US Open champion will look to improve in her next performance: “I think it was definitely a ‘C’ game.
“I didn’t play my best tennis but really proud that I was able to get through the match,” said Gauff. “Hopefully I got the bad match out of the way, and I can play even better.”
2024 Australian Open Remaining Quarter-Finals:
Linda Noskova (Cze) vs Dayana Yastremska (Ukr)
Anna Kalinskaya (Rus) vs Qinwen Zheng (Chn) (12)
Main Photo Caption: The 2023 Australian Open defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka, after breezing past Barbora Krejcikova 6-2 6-3 into the 2024 Grand Slam semi-final, a repeat of the US Open final, won by Coco Gauff. Photo: Aryna Sabalenka on Instagram
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