(Melbourne) Four and a half months after the final of the United States Open, reunion with desires for “revenge” between Aryna Sabalenka, world No.2 and holder of the trophy in Melbourne, and Coco Gauff, world No.4 and victorious in New York, in the last four of the Australian Open on Thursday.
” I love it I love it ! After the US Open, I really wanted this revenge, says Sabalenka. I’m really looking forward to playing this semi-final. »
In New York last September, where she dreamed of crowning her accession to the throne of world tennis with a second Grand Slam coronation, the 25-year-old Belarusian was overthrown by the young American 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 .
The second semi-final pits the Chinese Qinwen Zheng, world No.15, against the Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, 93e and resulting from qualifications.
“With Coco, the matches are always big fights. She moves really well, everything comes back against her, you really have to build the point to get the ball that allows you to finish it,” describes Sabalenka, trailing 4-2 in her face-to-faces with Gauff.
16 games lost
“Sabalenka is obviously the player to beat. I find her in even better shape than a year ago. She hits the ball extremely well. She looks very relaxed for a title holder, with all this pressure. She is doing everything it takes to lift the trophy again,” analyzes former Slovak player Daniela Hantuchova.
PHOTO KARSTEN MORAN, THE NEW YORK TIMES ARCHIVES
Aryna Sabalenka lost to Coco Gauff at the last US Open.
Since the start of the Australian fortnight, the world No.2 has been breathtaking.
In five games, she has only let sixteen games slip away. Barely more than three on average per game.
His longest match? 71 minutes, in the quarter-finals against Krejcikova (11e).
The shortest ? 52 minutes, time to inflict a double 6-0 on the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko (33e).
Sabalenka is consolidating at the start of the 2024 season the stature built last season. His semi-final in Melbourne is his sixth in a row at a Grand Slam, since the 2022 US Open.
How does it explain its regularity at such a high level?
“It’s a question of state of mind, I no longer lose my head on the court, I don’t rush. I’m happy to have been able to resolve that and to have become calmer on the court, she appreciates. It was a huge job. »
” Strong minded ”
“I focus on what I need to do to win every match I play, without thinking too much about my dreams, how many Grand Slams I want to win, and all that,” she continues.
“It comes with experience, I’m more mature, or older, it’s up to you,” smiles Sabalenka.
After four first rounds in two rounds, Gauff had all the difficulty in the world to get rid of the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk (37e) 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 in the quarter-finals. It took him more than three hours.
But until then, when she reached the final four in the Grand Slam, the young American, who will celebrate her twentieth birthday in March, overcame the obstacle.
“It gives me confidence to know at least that at this stage in the Grand Slam, my nerves are holding up,” Gauff said.
Asked to identify her main weapons, she answers in particular “my mental strength”, in addition to her travels. “It got me out of a lot of matches. Mentally, I think I’m one of the strongest on the circuit. »
Does her new status as a Grand Slam winner change her approach?
” Not really. I feel that I have become the player to beat and that people play more freely against me, without pressure […] but, at the same time, when I was young, no one wanted to lose to a 15 year old girl. »