Vintage Azarenka downs Pegula to make Australian Open semis

DAVID GRAY/ AFP

Victoria Azarenka rolled again the years to succeed in the semi-finals of the Australian Open and stay heading in the right direction for her third Grand Slam crown.

The two-times champion crushed third seed Jessica Pegula 6-4 6-1 to advance to the last-four.

Victory marked the primary time in a decade that the 33-year-old had made it to the last-four at Melbourne Park and she is going to make her first look in a serious semi-final because the U.S. Open in 2020 the place she went on to lose within the title conflict.

“Well, it hurts to beat her because I always want her to do well, but the same time I know I have to play my best tennis,” Azarenka stated of her buddy and observe accomplice Pegula.

“She’s been taking part in wonderful, very constant and I knew from the primary level I’ve to convey it.

“We had so many rallies and I wanted to try to stay there, take opportunities because she was going to take everything if I don’t try to win myself and I’m very proud that I executed my game plan really well.”

Azarenka, the final lady to defend the Australian Open title after her 2013 triumph, performed fantastically to race right into a 3-0 lead over American Pegula within the first set earlier than the very best seed left within the ladies’s draw lastly held serve.

Pegula discovered her rhythm taking part in nearer to the baseline and controlling the rallies to interrupt again, however Belarusian Azarenka discovered one other gear to maneuver forward within the contest earlier than each gamers failed to carry serve within the subsequent.

Former world primary Azarenka took the decisive lead, nevertheless, and closed out the match to arrange a semi-final assembly with Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina after the Kazakh twenty second seed beat former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko.

“It’s so amazing to be in the semi-final of another Grand Slam,” Azarenka stated. “I felt particularly final yr my tennis wasn’t unhealthy however I wasn’t actually mentally there to go on the market.

“I performed with loads of worry, with loads of anxiousness and it actually was tough to be courageous and to make the best decisions in an vital second once you really feel anxious, once you really feel hesitant.

“I labored loads on my mindset, difficult myself on issues that I would not actually do earlier than and attempt to push myself ahead.

“Because when you achieved great success, sometimes you become conservative and you’re a bit more hesitant to try new things. This off-season I was like I’ll just be open-minded trying new things and put my head down and work hard.”