Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani suffered a 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4 defeat to Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina and Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic in the women’s doubles semifinals at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Despite leading 3-1 in the final set, Dabrowski and Stefani lost four consecutive games. An unforced error by Dabrowski and Stefani narrowed the gap, but four consecutive winners from Danilina and Krunic sealed the match. Dabrowski and Stefani converted on four of their eight break point opportunities and served four aces with two double faults. On the other hand, Danilina and Krunic capitalized on four of their six break chances, hitting three aces and one double fault. The seventh-seeded pair also recorded 31 winners compared to their opponents’ 27.
In another match, Aryna Sabalenka advanced to her fourth straight Australian Open final after defeating Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3. Sabalenka, the top seed, is now one win away from securing her third Australian Open title in four years. The final will be a rematch of the 2023 final against Elena Rybakina, who defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the other semifinal. Despite a tough battle, Rybakina managed to secure the win in the tiebreaker after missing several match points.
Notably, all four players reached the semifinals without dropping a set for the first time in 56 years at the Australian Open. Sabalenka and Svitolina both entered the match with 10-match winning streaks after triumphs in their respective warm-up tournaments. Sabalenka’s dominant performance included 29 winners and two breaks of Svitolina’s serve in the first set. The match was marked by the absence of traditional handshakes at the net.
One contentious moment in the match was a hindrance call against Sabalenka for a prolonged grunt, resulting in a point penalty. However, Sabalenka remained unfazed and maintained her aggressive play, ultimately prevailing over Svitolina. Sabalenka expressed that the call served as motivation and fueled her intensity on the court. Svitolina’s exit from the tournament marked the end of a successful run, as she will now return to the top 10 rankings following a maternity break and a mental health hiatus. Despite the loss, Svitolina reflected positively on her recent performances and expressed gratitude for her achievements.
