Vintage Azarenka downs Pegula to make Australian Open semis

MELBOURNE: Victoria Azarenka rolled back the years at the Australian Open on Tuesday as the two-times champion crushed third seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals and remain on course for her third Grand Slam crown.

Victory marked the first time in a decade that the 33-year-old had made it to the last-four at Melbourne Park and she will make her first appearance in a major semi-final since the US Open in 2020 where she went on to lose in the title clash.

"Well, it hurts to beat her because I always want her to do well, but the same time I know I have to play my best tennis," Azarenka said of her friend and practice partner Pegula.

"She's been playing amazing, very consistent and I knew from the first point I have to bring it.

"We had so many rallies and I wanted to try to stay there, take opportunities because she was going to take everything if I don't try to win myself and I'm very proud that I executed my game plan really well."

Azarenka, the last woman to defend the Australian Open title after her 2013 triumph, played superbly to race into a 3-0 lead over American Pegula in the first set before the highest seed left in the women's draw finally held serve.

Pegula found her rhythm playing closer to the baseline and controlling the rallies to break back, but Belarusian Azarenka found another gear to move ahead in the contest before both players failed to hold serve in the next.

Former world number one Azarenka took the decisive lead, however, and closed out the match to set up a semi-final meeting with Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina after the Kazakh 22nd seed beat former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko.

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina became the first player into the Australian Open semi-finals after outmuscling Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4 in a one-sided contest.

The Russian-born Kazakh looked sharp from the start and only a 25-minute delay to close the stadium roof against a passing shower prevented her from wrapping up the opening set within a half-an-hour of arriving on court.

Former French Open champion Ostapenko looked unable to cope with Rybakina's pace and power in the opening stanza but ramped up her own fierce groundstrokes to break for a 2-0 lead at the start of the second.

Rybakina, who ousted top seed Iga Swiatek in the fourth round, broke straight back, however, and saved four break-points with some brilliant tennis in the next game to consolidate.

The 23-year-old rode the momentum to break her Latvian opponent again for a 3-2 lead and then it was only a matter of looking after her impressive serve.

There were some jitters as Rybakina served for a place in her second Grand Slam semi-final but she sealed the deal on her third match point with her 11th ace of the contest.

Also Read: Bopanna-Mirza move to Australian Open mixed doubles semifinal

Also Watch: