Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani suffered a 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4 defeat to Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina and Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic in the women’s doubles semifinals at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Dabrowski and Stefani, seeded fifth, were leading 3-1 in the final set before losing the next four games. An unforced error contributed to Dabrowski and Stefani winning the following game to narrow the gap. However, they were swiftly defeated by four consecutive winners from Danilina and Krunic. Dabrowski and Stefani capitalized on four out of eight break opportunities and served four aces with two double faults. On the other hand, Danilina and Krunic broke on four out of six chances, hitting three aces and one double fault. The seventh seeds also recorded 31 winners compared to their opponents’ 27.
Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka maintained her momentum, overcoming Elina Svitolina with a 6-2, 6-3 victory to reach her fourth consecutive Australian Open final. Sabalenka, the top-ranked player, is one win away from securing her third Australian Open title in four years. The final will be a rematch of the 2023 final against Elena Rybakina, who defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the second semifinal. Both Sabalenka and Svitolina had impressive 10-match winning streaks leading up to the semifinals, with all four players entering the semis without dropping a set. Sabalenka’s win marked her as the third woman in the Open era to reach four consecutive singles finals at the Australian Open, following Evonne Goolagong and Martina Hingis.
Sabalenka’s dominant performance was briefly interrupted by a hindrance call in the fourth game. The hindrance, called for a distraction that interferes with a player’s shot, was made against Sabalenka due to a prolonged grunt after a shot that seemed to be going long but landed in. Despite the point penalty, Sabalenka regrouped and secured a break in that game, maintaining control for the rest of the match. Svitolina, after reaching her first Australian Open semifinal and winning a title in New Zealand, will return to the top 10 for the first time since taking a maternity break in 2022.
The semifinals showcased intense competition and noteworthy performances, setting the stage for an exciting final at the Australian Open.