Ahead of us is the semi-final of the Australian Open, which could also be the final of the Australian Slam. The two best tennis players of the entire tournament will meet, and one of them will have to be content with only advancing to the best four. At stake is not only the Grand Slam title, but also the runner-up position in the WTA rankings. Who will come out on top in this extremely close competition? Live coverage and live score from the match Aryna Sabalenka – Coco Gauff on Polsatsport.pl. Starting at 9:30.
In recent months, tennis fans around the world have been eagerly following the rivalry between Aryn Sabalenka and Iga Świątek. At stake was the fight for the WTA ranking leader’s seat. Ultimately, the Belarusian briefly dethroned the Pole, who regained the lead after winning the WTA finals in Cancun.
SEE ALSO: The Ukrainian avenged Świątek! He has a passion that few people know about (PHOTOS)
Coco Gauff unexpectedly joined the group of candidates to take over the throne of the WTA ranking leader. The American has been impressive in her form since the beginning of the season, confirming that the US Open victory was not just a coincidence or a temporary improvement in form. Before the start of the competition in Melbourne, Sabalenka’s advantage over the third-placed American was 2,000 points. Currently, it is only 485 points, which means that if Gauff defeats the Belarusian, she will move to second place in the ranking.
However, winning against Sabalenka will not be an easy task. The ranking’s runner-up defeated Barbora Krejcikova in two sets to advance to her sixth Grand Slam semifinal in a row. This is an impressive result considering the scale of difficulty in events of this rank. Additionally, the defending champion in Melbourne did not lose even a set.
Unlike her semi-final opponent. Gauff competed with Marta Kostjuk in the semi-finals. The Ukrainian had already performed excellently in the earlier stages of the tournament and it was expected that the match would not end in three sets. These words were confirmed already in the first set of the quarterfinal competition.
Although Kostjuk lost the opening game after a tie-break, she equalized the competition with Gauff in the second set. The American caught the wind only in the third part of the match, which she won 6-2. However, this means that the 19-year-old lost a lot of strength and energy in the duel with the Ukrainian. At this stage of the tournament, it could be fatal for the American.
Sabalenka and Gauff have faced each other six times. The young American came out on top four times in these fights. The most painful defeat for the Belarusian was the US Open final, when she was leading with Gauff after the first set, but eventually lost the next two games and, as a result, the New York Slam title.
The best scenario from the perspective of a Polish fan is the one in which Gauff defeats Sabalenka but loses in the final of the Australian Open. Then the Polish woman’s advantage over the second-placed American will be as much as 2,050 points. Will this happen?
Live coverage and live score from the match Aryna Sabalenka – Coco Gauff on Polsatsport.pl. Starting at 9:30.
Karol Płatek, Polsat Sport
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