Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani faced a 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4 defeat against Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina and Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic in the women’s doubles semifinals at the Australian Open in Melbourne. The fifth-seeded Dabrowski and Stefani initially led 3-1 in the final set but lost the subsequent four games. Despite reducing the gap to one with an unforced error, they were ultimately outplayed by Danilina and Krunic, who secured the win with four consecutive winners. Dabrowski and Stefani capitalized on four out of eight break chances and served four aces with two double faults. On the other hand, Danilina and Krunic broke four out of six times, serving three aces and committing one double fault. The seventh-seeded pair also outperformed their opponents with 31 winners compared to 27.
Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominance by defeating Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3, advancing to her fourth consecutive Australian Open final. She is now one win away from securing her third Australian Open title in four years. In the other semifinal, Elena Rybakina overcame Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (7) in a tight match that saw multiple twists and turns. All four players had reached the semifinals without dropping a set, a feat not seen in Australia for 56 years. Sabalenka maintained her winning streak, hitting 29 winners against Svitolina’s 12 in an impressive display of skill.
Sabalenka’s victory was marred by a hindrance call early in the fourth game, where an umpire penalized her for a prolonged grunt that disrupted Svitolina’s play. Despite the setback, Sabalenka rebounded strongly and secured a crucial break, eventually controlling the match. Reflecting on the incident, Sabalenka acknowledged the call as motivational, fueling her aggression and subsequent triumph. Svitolina’s loss, following her recent title win in New Zealand and return to the top 10 rankings, marked a valiant effort cut short by Sabalenka’s formidable performance. Despite the defeat, Svitolina expressed satisfaction with her performance and vowed to carry her positive momentum forward in the season.