The Japan Times - Sabalenka uses fighting spirit to banish Australian Open blues

Sabalenka is on track for a historic third consecutive Melbourne Park title after she steamrollered teenager Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2.

Sabalenka dropped her serve eight times in her previous two wins but was back to her imperious best against the Russian 17-year-old on the hottest day of the tournament so far, only conceding three break points and saving all of them.

"Those matches gave me so much belief that, no matter what, I'm going to be there, I'm going to be fighting," the Belarusian told reporters.

"When you struggle with your game and you had to overcome a lot of things and you still win a match, it gives you so much confidence going into the next one.

"For me it's about staying in the moment and focusing on myself and on bringing my best game," Sabalenka added.

"I know that, if I'm able to bring my best game, I can get the win."

Her rapid victory, her 18th in a row at Melbourne Park, meant she only spent 62 minutes on Rod Laver Arena as temperatures nudged 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) during her match.

She was clearly revelling in the heat, which brought faster conditions on court.

"The ball was flying like a rocket. I hope conditions are going to be the same till the end of the tournament," said Sabalenka.

- Vekic hobbled -

She will face another Russian, the 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, for a place in the semi-final and a potential blockbuster clash with Coco Gauff.

Sabalenka ripped through her first two service games against Andreeva without conceding a point before racing to the first set in just 24 minutes.

Sabalenka did not let up at the start of the second set and cruised to the finish line to keep her on course for a rare hat-trick of Australian Open consecutive titles.

It was last achieved 26 years ago by Martina Hingis and only matched by four other women in history, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.

Pavlyuchenkova beat an ailing Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic 7-6 (7/0), 6-0 on John Cain Arena.

Vekic, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year, needed treatment on her knee at the end of a tight first set and from then on it was one-way traffic.

"Obviously that's not the way you want a match to finish. I hope she will be OK," Pavlyuchenkova said of Vekic, who was hobbling badly.

"I'm happy I managed to keep putting the ball in the court."

Pavlyuchenkova, 33, reached the Australian Open quarter-finals in 2017, 2019 and 2020 but has never got to the last four.

It is the veteran's 20th year on the WTA Tour and said she is astonished that she can keep up with younger opponents.

"I don't know, it amazes me also because I think the level is so good," she said. "It's so, so high now and everybody is so much younger than me."

H.Hayashi--JT