Sabalenka avenges Melbourne loss to Keys, Medvedev advances

World number one Aryna Sabalenka sent an Australian Open warning as she beat Madison Keys on Friday in Brisbane in a repeat of last year’s Melbourne final.

Keys stunned Sabalenka nearly 12 months ago but the Belarusian took revenge on the American with a statement 6-3, 6-3 victory to reach the semi-finals.

Keys was playing less than 24 hours after her marathon three-hour win over Russia’s Diana Shnaider and had heavy strapping on her thigh.

She turned in an uncharacteristically error-strewn performance and struggled on serve as Sabalenka struck a series of superb returns.

Sabalenka, aiming for her third Melbourne title in four years when the Australian Open begins on January 18, said the Brisbane tournament was helping her find form ahead of the first major of the year.

“I’m just trying to bring on court things I have been working on the pre-season, such as coming to the net,” she said.

“I was working on my serve and it seems that it’s working a little bit better.

“I’m just trying to get some matches, get some wins, get the rhythm going again.”

Sabalenka will play Czech surprise package Karolina Muchova in the last four after the 11th seed held her nerve to see off world number five Elena Rybakina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Muchova raced through the first set against an out-of-sorts Rybakina, who eventually found some rhythm to claim the second.

But Muchova broke the former Wimbledon champion once in the third set to get over the line, helped by her opponent’s 42 unforced errors.

Muchova has won her past three matches against Sabalenka, although the last was in 2024 at the China Open.

“If it’s a year-and-a-half back, we both are different players than we were before,” Muchova said.

“But yeah, these matches before were very long battles, I think always three-setters and could have gone either way.”

Fourth seed Jessica Pegula moved into the semi-finals with a comfortable 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) win over Russian Liudmila Samsonova.

She will now play Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk for a place in the final after Kostyuk upset rising Russian star Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (9/7), 6-3.

In the men’s draw, former world number one Daniil Medvedev came from a set down to beat Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-2 to set up a semi-final against Alex Michelsen of the United States.

The second semi-final will be an all-American clash between Brandan Nakashima and Aleksandar Kovacevic.

Poland reach United Cup semis: Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek brushed aside Maya Joint and Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski won the mixed doubles as Poland beat hosts Australia 2-1 in the United Cup quarter-finals on Friday, setting up a last-four clash with defending champions the United States.

The teams met in last year’s final and the winners will face Switzerland or Belgium in this year’s decider.

Six-times Grand Slam winner Swiatek beat Joint 6-1 6-1, but Australia fought back as Alex de Minaur overcame Hubert Hurkacz 6-4 4-6 6-4 in the men’s singles match.

Playing his first tournament since last year’s grass season, Hurkcaz was near untouchable in his first three service games when he dropped just one point on serve. But growing increasingly frustrated by his inability to cash in on his chances in return games, his unforced error count ticked up in the closing stages of the set.

After De Minaur saved three break points to level at 4-4, the 26-year-old claimed the decisive break and then won 21 consecutive points on serve before unexpectedly dropping serve at the end of the second set.

He then broke early in the third set to underpin his eighth victory in 11 United Cup singles appearances.

“I just had to fight him off from the first point to the last. It was a huge mental effort,” said De Minaur, who saved nine break points to clinch the first set.

“I am glad I was able to bounce back after losing that second set. I had some dark thoughts in my head.”

In the mixed doubles, Kawa and Zielinski clinched a 6-4 6-0 win over Australians Storm Hunter and John-Patrick Smith.

Agencies