Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek are the strong favourites to win their semi-finals on Thursday. Setting up a thrilling Australian Open title match. The men’s finalists at Melbourne Park will be determined on Friday. Putting the women in the spotlight in a nighttime doubleheader at Rod Laver Arena. At 7:30 P.M. IST (0830 GMT), world number one and incumbent champion Sabalenka will face Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa.
Followed by five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek versus Madison Keys on center court. Sabalenka has the opportunity to become the first woman to win the Australian Open three consecutive years since Martina Hingis in 1999. If she succeeds, she will become one of only five women to have achieved the Melbourne three-peat. The others are Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, and Monica Seles.
Badosa defeated world number three Coco Gauff in straight sets. Reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final at the age of 27. The Spaniard nearly quit tennis last year due to a serious back injury. She dropped out of the top 100. She is expected to return to the top ten following her performance in Melbourne. Swiatek of Poland has been the dominant force in the women’s draw thus far.
A Blockbuster Final Awaiting
The Polish matched her previous best Australian Open run in 2022 when she lost to Danielle Collins in the final four. The world number two has lost only 14 games in her five matches, seven of which came in the first round. She showed calm and confidence as she attempted to not only win her first Australian Open championship but also reclaim the number-one ranking from Sabalenka.
If the Belarussian fails to reach the final, Swiatek will once again rise to the top. And if Swiatek and Sabalenka play in the final, the winner will depart Australia with the top rating. Swiatek must first advance past the 19th seed Keys. The American is in the Melbourne semi-finals for the third time, ten years after her first, and has a career-best 10-match victory run after winning the Adelaide crown this month.
