Victoria Azarenka got to semi-finals in Australian Open

• Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka advanced to semi-finals.
• The highest seeded woman left in Melbourne was Jessica Pegula.
• The 33-year-old is back in Melbourne’s final four for the first time.

Victoria Azarenka, a two-time winner of the Australian Open, got to the semi-finals, where she will play Elena Rybakina, a powerful hitter, and Karen Khachanov reached the men’s final four.

The highest seeded woman left in Melbourne was Jessica Pegula, who was ranked three, but the much favored American had no defenses against Azarenka’s punishing forehand groundstrokes.

In an unexpectedly one-sided quarterfinal, Belarusian Azarenka, who won the Australian Open both in 2012 and 2013, turned back the years to win 6-4, 6-1.

The 33-year-old is back in Melbourne’s final four for the first time since her victory there in 2013.

“It stings to lose to her because I always want her to perform well,” said the 24th seed of Pegula, a personal friend and practise partner.

“I am extremely satisfied that I executed my game plan very well,” Azarenka, who was dressed in a Paris Saint-Germain football shirt, continued.

“So great to be in another semi-final of a Grand Slam,” said Azarenka, admitting that playing at the 15,000-seat Rod Laver Arena had been “tension”.

Leo, her small kid, is more concerned with his football and the next time we play, Azarenka remarked when asked how he would react to his mother’s most recent success.

“He desperately wants his mother to come home.”

Don’t worry Leo and 🐶, @vika7 will be home soon.

Will it be with another #AusOpen trophy 🏆?#AO2023 pic.twitter.com/cIqu5pqQ2g

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— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 24, 2023

Because Azarenka competes on Thursday against Kazakh Rybakina, who was born in Moscow, for a spot in the championship, Leo will have to wait at least a few more days.

With a brutal 6-2, 6-4 victory against Jelena Ostapenko, Rybakina stormed into the semi-finals.

Rybakina, 23, blasted former French Open champion Ostapenko off the court in 79 minutes with 11 aces.

So far, the 22nd seed has hit 35 aces, more than any other woman in the tournament.

She implied that her serve is currently better than it was when she won Wimbledon last year.

“I was given much greater power. It’s my weapon on the court and of course we are trying to work on it,” she remarked, before adding: “Always a lot to improve.”

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