Aryna Sabalenka Secures Straight-Sets Win Over Madison Keys in Brisbane International
BRISBANE, Australia — In a rematch of the Australian Open finalists, Aryna Sabalenka dominated Madison Keys, winning in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals of the Brisbane International. The top-ranked Sabalenka broke Keys in five consecutive service games, showcasing her impressive form ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on January 18.
Sabalenka’s victory came as no surprise, given her exceptional performance in recent months. She has been in outstanding form, finishing the competitive season with a runner-up finish at the WTA Finals and winning the US Open. When asked about her approach to the match, Sabalenka stated, “I didn’t really have the throwback to the Australian Open last year, to be honest. I know that I lost in Australia against her, and it’s a big motivation, of course, to go out and get the win. But I always look into the [next] match as like a new match against a new player. That’s my approach.”
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Defending Brisbane Champion Advances to Semifinals
Sabalenka, the defending Brisbane champion, will next face 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova, who defeated Elena Rybakina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, ending Rybakina’s 13-match winning streak. Muchova has a 3-1 record against Sabalenka and is looking to continue her winning form. Fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula also advanced to the semifinals with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over No. 10 Liudmila Samsonova and will face No. 16 Marta Kostyuk, who beat sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (7), 6-3.
Muchova’s win over Rybakina marked her third career victory over the WTA Finals champion. When asked about her head-to-head record against Sabalenka, Muchova stated, “Doesn’t matter if I’m the one who is leading head-to-head or I’m the one who is losing. I don’t care.” Sabalenka echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of controlling her emotions during matches. “In the past, I could lose a match because I’d be so frustrated. Now I’m just trying to move on like, ‘OK, whatever.’ I feel like it’s been working well for me.”
Keys Looks to Regain Momentum
Keys, who will head to Adelaide to defend her title, is looking to regain momentum ahead of the Australian Open. “Hopefully I can gain and then just keep a lot of momentum going,” she said. “Hopefully there is many more firsts to come.” Keys’ loss to Sabalenka was marked by struggles with her second serve, finishing the match with eight double-faults and winning just 33% of points on her second serve.
Sabalenka’s win over Keys was her second straight-sets victory over the American, following a 6-0, 6-1 win at Indian Wells. The top-ranked player has been open about the challenges of the season schedule, describing it as “insane” and stating that she will risk fines to skip tournaments and avoid injuries or burnout. Despite this, Sabalenka is focused on getting as much competition as possible before the Australian Open. “I’m just trying to get some matches, get some wins, and get the rhythm going again,” she said.
In the men’s tournament, top-seeded Daniil Medvedev came from a set down to beat Kamil Majchrzak 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2 and advance to the semifinals. “I managed to stay composed and hit some great shots to win the match,” Medvedev said. He will face Alex Michelsen in the semifinals.
