BRISBANE: Victoria Azarenka and Elena Rybakina both clinched spots in the Brisbane International semi-finals, but their journeys couldn’t have been more different. Azarenka fought relentlessly for 2 hours and 30 minutes, ultimately triumphing over Jelena Ostapenko in a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 battle on Pat Rafter Arena.
Meanwhile, Rybakina secured her place in the last four after Anastasia Potapova withdrew due to a stomach problem, conceding the first set 6-1 to the Kazakh player.
Azarenka, a former two-time Australian Open champion, dominated early on, securing the first set with a crucial service break. However, Ostapenko gradually found her rhythm, leveling the match with some impressive play.
Despite Ostapenko’s solid serve in the third set, Azarenka faced challenges in holding her own service games. Yet, at 5-6 and on the brink of a tiebreak, Ostapenko faltered, granting Azarenka the win thanks to a faltering service game.
Reflecting on her intense match, Azarenka praised the remarkable quality of tennis displayed, acknowledging Ostapenko’s powerful returns and winners that pushed her to persevere. Looking ahead, Azarenka awaits the outcome between top seed Aryna Sabalenka and Daria Kasatkina, poised for an intriguing semi-final clash.
“I was looking forward to seeing how my game was going to match up this year, and I think it’s pretty good.”
During another quarter-final match, Rybakina swiftly secured a 4-1 advantage while Potapova sought assistance from the trainer for what seemed to be a stomach injury. Despite playing through the following two games, Potapova eventually withdrew after Rybakina claimed the first set. Next up for Rybakina is a match against Linda Noskova, who triumphed over 16-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva with a score of 7-5, 6-3.
In the men’s competition, top-seeded Dane Holger Rune displayed impressive form, defeating Australian qualifier James Duckworth with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (8/6). Ranked eighth globally, Rune is set to face Roman Safiullin in the semi-finals, after the unseeded Russian secured a victory over Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi with a score of 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.
Later on Friday, Spanish legend Rafael Nadal is scheduled to play his quarter-final match against Jordan Thompson.
