Australian Open day 11: Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina reach women’s final

Australian Open
Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will contest the Australian Open women’s final.

The big-hitting pair both came through their semi-finals in straight sets on Thursday, with Wimbledon champion Rybakina beating Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (4) 6-3 before Sabalenka powered past Magda Linette 7-6 (1) 6-2.

Britain’s Ranah Stoiber is through to the girls’ semi-finals while Alfie Hewett reached finals in wheelchair men’s singles and doubles.

What they said

Rybakina said: “I couldn’t get free points on my serve that easy like during the day when I played the matches. I knew that I need just to adjust. I was doing the correct things. It was just a matter to be more focused on these important moments. In the end, I just was playing point by point no matter score. Everything went well.”

Sabalenka on trying to stay calm: “I was trying to [do] less screaming after bad points or errors. I was just trying to hold myself, stay calm, just think about the next point.

“Actually, I’m not that boring, I think. I’m still screaming ‘C’mon’ and all that stuff. I don’t think it’s that boring to watch me. I hope so. Just less negative emotions.

“[After the first game,] probably before I would start screaming on everybody, feeling bad, starting to overhit balls. Today I was, like, OK, that’s happened, that’s fine. I’ll just keep working, keep trying, and I think I will find my rhythm.”

Picture of the day

Face in the crowd

Skupski on the plane

Could there be a second consecutive men’s doubles title for a home wild card pair? Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler are trying to follow in the footsteps of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis, and they are into the final.

Australian Open day 11 results

Collated results from Day 11 of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Melbourne Park on Thursday:

Women

Semi-finals

Elena Rybakina (KAZ x22) bt Victoria Azarenka (BLR x24) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3

Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x5) bt Magda Linette (POL) 7-6 (7/1), 6-2

Who’s up next?

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The men’s finalists will be decided at Melbourne Park on Friday.

Stefanos Tsitsipas takes on Karen Khachanov in the first match, with both looking to reach a first Australian Open final, while Novak Djokovic will hope to make a 10th against Tommy Paul.

Stoiber takes on Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals of the girls’ singles while Hewett and Gordon Reid are in the wheelchair men’s doubles final.

Aryna Sabalenka Elena Rybakina

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