Aryna Sabalenka beats Madison Keys to reach Brisbane semi-finals

While Aryna Sabalenka defeated Australian Open champion Madison Keys in a repeat of last year’s Australian Open final, world number one continued her preparations for the first slam of the year by reaching the semi-finals at the Brisbane International.

Belarusian Sabalenka will look to win her third Australian Open title in four years later this month, having claimed back-to-back victories in 2023 and 2024, after losing to Keys in three sets at last year’s showcase.

The 27-year-old, who has won big four times, continued his strong start to the year by winning for the third time in a row, losing only 13 matches in the six sets he played.

“I know I lost to her in Australia, and of course that’s the biggest motivation to go out there and get the win,” said defending champion Sabalenka, who beat Keys at Indian Wells last March.

“But I never stay in the past and I never remember things from the previous meeting. My approach is as if it’s a new match, it doesn’t matter what happened in the past, I just have to go out there and play my best tennis.”

Sabalenka, who defeated American Keys with sets of 6-3 6-3, will face Carolina Muchova in the final in Brisbane after the Czech player defeated world number five Elena Rybakina with scores of 6-2 2-6 6-4.

Muchova, seeded 20th, held her nerve in a tough deciding set to end former Wimbledon champion Rybakina’s 13-match winning streak.

Muchova, the 2023 French Open runner-up, has won her last three matches against Sabalenka.