By the second set of Aryna Sabalenka’s thirteenth consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal, it quickly became clear that the best tennis player in the world had reached flow status and that she could do anything she wanted with the ball. Leading 2-0 and mercilessly chasing a double break, Sabalenka surged forward to the net and executed a sickly sweet forehand half-volley winner that would have satisfied even the legendary volleyers of old.
There was once a time when a great performance from Sabalenka meant the Belarusian pounded every ball, aimed at every line and prayed her shots would land. She has developed herself into such a versatile player today, suffocating her opponents with the completeness of her game and having so many options at her disposal. Despite a valiant attempt by her young opponent to simply extend their high-quality opening set, Sabalenka bulldozed Jovic 6-3, 6-0 to continue her run through the draw.
Sabalenka’s victory extends what is becoming one of the great grand slam records of this century. She has now reached the semi-finals in 12 of her last 13 majors, with the only anomaly being her grim experience at the 2024 French Open, where she desperately struggled with food poisoning during her quarter-final loss to Mirra Andreeva. Even then, she fell only narrowly, losing in three tight sets.
“When I participate in the tournament I don’t think about that, but sometimes we all stop for a moment and think that the level we have reached sounds really incredible and hard to believe,” Sabalenka said. “Definitely, sometimes I just think it’s incredible what I’ve been able to achieve.”
This score does not reflect Jovic’s admirable fight. Jovic, the youngest player in the top 150, has enjoyed an incredible breakthrough tournament in Melbourne. She reached her first grand slam quarterfinal, beating her first top 20 opponent in No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini and achieving a result that puts her in the top 20, all at the age of 18.
Jovic immediately trailed Sabalenka 3-0 and then fought break points in her two subsequent matches. However, she dug deep and was competitive for the remainder of the first set. She made her final stand in the nail-biting final game of the first set on Sabalenka’s serve, generating three break points and saving two of Sabalenka’s set points before the Belarusian converted the set with a blazing backhand winner.
However, Sabalenka is on a completely different level than anyone the teenager has ever played and will play this season. Just when it looked like Jovic might make life difficult for the Belarusian, Sabalenka raised her level and spent the second set eviscerating the ball, fluttering towards the net, bombarding the American with drop shots and repeatedly turning the defense into attack with ruthless efficiency.
Afterwards, Sabalenka was asked whether she had played many sets in her career at the level she showed in set two: “Certainly not many matches,” she said. “In the second set I felt like I had to intervene and put even more pressure on her, because I can see that she is young, that she is hungry, and I could see during the match that no matter the score, she will still be there to find her way. I knew I had to intervene and show the level and class.”
Her class and stratospheric level have been visible for years. Once again, she is still embroiled in a Grand Slam tournament as she fights for her fifth major title and third Australian Open title after reaching the final for the past four years. She awaits the winner of Tuesday night’s quarter-final between Coco Gauff, her conqueror in last year’s French Open final, one of her most painful defeats, and the formidable Elina Svitolina.
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