Aryna Sabalenka has reached her fourth Australian Open final in a row after beating Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3.
The match was politically charged because Svitolina, like other Ukrainian players, refuses to shake hands with players from Russia or Belarus because of the war. Before the match, an announcement was made asking fans to respect that decision. The two players also kept their distance during the pre-match formalities and photos.
Sabalenka was emotional after the match, saying she was very happy with the win. She praised Svitolina, calling her a tough opponent and saying she played very well throughout the week. Sabalenka also added that she still has work to do to win the title.
Both players were in strong form coming into the match, having not dropped a set in the tournament. The match had an early controversy when Sabalenka was penalised for grunting during a point, leading to a long video review and boos from the crowd.
Sabalenka then took control, breaking Svitolina’s serve and winning the first set in just 41 minutes. Svitolina briefly fought back at the start of the second set, breaking Sabalenka’s serve to lead 2-0. But Sabalenka quickly recovered, winning five games in a row to take a 5-2 lead and then closing out the match.
Sabalenka will now face either Elena Rybakina or Jessica Pegula in the final.
