Aryna Sabalenka beats Paula Badosa: 2025 Australian Open semi-final result from the Rod Laver Arena

A. Sabalenka vs P. Badosa | Australian Open
Women's Singles | Semi-final | 23.01.2025 | Rod Laver Arena
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A. Sabalenka (1)
P. Badosa (11)
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EUROSPORT EXPERTS REACT AS ARYNA SABALENKA'S POWER-GAME DOWNS BEST PAL PAULA
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Sabalenka hopes Badosa 'still her friend' after semi-final victory

Video credit: TNT Sports

TIM HENMAN: "Sabalenka is just a slightly better version of Badosa. They’ve got very similar games. When the dust settles, Badosa will reflect on this match and say that she had a chance.
"At 2-0, 40-0 - if she goes up 3-0 in the first set - that puts a very different complexion on the first set. You see the scoreline, up 6-4 with a break, you feel like it’s one-way traffic. For the early part of this match, it was a lot closer than the scoreline suggests."
MATS WILANDER: "We always talk about the power of Sabalenka, but there is variety as well.
"There is a difference between Badosa and Sabalenka. She throws in a couple of dropshots, and looks very comfortable coming to the net. Her serve was good, even though Badosa served well too. She’s just a little bit better everywhere, including the movement and the defensive skills.
"She doesn’t have any weaknesses anymore."
BARBARA SCHETT: "The power she displayed was just phenomenal, especially the way she served. She served approximately 11 or 12 km/h faster than her previous matches.
"She stepped into the court, taking those returns early. Yes, she had some troubles early on when she was down 2-0, but the momentum changed when she broke back. Then it was one-way traffic. The way she handled herself on this occasion was phenomenal. At the beginning of the second set, Paula lost the belief. She deserved to win.
"She was just the better player."
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Sabalenka's power was 'phenomenal' in reaching Australian Open final

Video credit: TNT Sports

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SABA STATS
Sabalenka is the eighth player in the Open Era to reach three consecutive Women’s Singles finals at the Australian Open.
The Belarusian is the fifth player in the Open Era to reach 5+ consecutive Women’s Singles Grand Slam hard court finals after Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis (stats via Opta).
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VIDEO: THAT WINNING FEELING
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Watch match point as 'relentless' Sabalenka storms into Australian Open final

Video credit: TNT Sports

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10:11
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GAME, SET AND MATCH! - SABALENKA 6-4 6-2 BADOSA
Sabalenka moves to within one win of the ‘Threepeat’ with a dominant victory over ‘best friend’ Badosa.
The reigning champion makes it 20 wins on the spin at the AO as she ends the No.11’s seeds fine run Down Under in her first major semi final.
Sabalenka serves it out to love in one hour and 26 minutes and will meet Iga Swiatek or Madison Keys in Saturday’s final.
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Image credit: Getty Images


10:09
SABALENKA 6-4 5-2 BADOSA
Badosa hangs on a little longer with a resilient hold to pose the serve-out question and avoid the breadstick.
10:06
SABALENKA 6-4 5-1 BADOSA
Badosa unleashes a stonking crosscourt forehand winner to show just what she is capable of.
Sadly for her, they have been conspicuous by their absence for the majority of this match as she has so often been on the defensive way beyond her baseline.
Sabalenka booms another forehand winner of her own and looks in complete control at 40-15, but a double fault and a sloppy forehand into the net offers the Spaniard a glimmer at deuce.
Aryna quickly gets the forehand back on track but Badosa digs in with another lovely winner, this time with a tricky backhand down the line.
A one-two punch up the line puts Sabalenka on the front foot once more, and she finally backs up the double break with a forehand on the run that is too hot to handle.
09:58
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BREAK! – SABALENKA 6-4 4-1 BADOSA
That may well be that.
Badosa again fades from 30-0 up and can’t wriggle free at 40-30.
A forehand miscue proves costly as Saba applies the heat at deuce and Paula again wobbles with a double fault.
The two-time defending champion needs no further invitation as she scorches a forehand down the line to snare the insurance break.
09:55
SABALENKA 6-4 3-1 BADOSA
No danger there.
Sabalenka motors through a hold to consolidate and another AO final is firmly on her radar.
09:49
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BREAK! – SABALENKA 6-4 2-1 BADOSA
Ouch.
Badosa’s first serve goes AWOL at 30-0 up and from there is all unravels.
The Spaniard feels the heat at 30-30 and chucks in back-to-back doubles to hand over an easy early break.
09:46
SABALENKA 6-4 1-1 BADOSA
Aryna quickly powers level as an improvised forehand off a rasping return finds the open court to seal a love hold.
Badosa did suffer a nasty slip during that game, but didn’t turn her ankle as initially feared and seems fine now.
09:43
SABALENKA 6-4 0-1 BADOSA
It makes such a difference when Paula throws down the first serve consistently.
She had some real troubles midway through the opener, but ended it well and has kicked Set 2 off on a positive note with a comfortable game to 15.
The Spaniard will need to maintain a high first-serve percentage to have any chance if the first 11 games of this match are anything to go by.
09:39
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SET! - SABALENKA 6-4 BADOSA
The two-time champion hits back from an early wobble to dominate the majority of the rallies and serve out a hard-fought 53-minute opener to 15 via an eye-catching ace.
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Image credit: Getty Images


09:35
SABALENKA 5-4 BADOSA
Paula produces a stunning service game, thundering down an ace and three un-returnables to rush through a clean hold.
Aryna will now serve for the set.
09:33
SABALENKA 5-3 BADOSA
Badosa continues to hustle hard from deep behind her baseline, pulling off a magnificent forehand counter punch on the run to leave Sabalenka smiling ruefully.
It’s the only riposte of the game, however, as Aryna guns a beauty of a backhand down the line and then completes a simple hold to 15 with a pair of powerhouse first serves.
09:30
SABALENKA 4-3 BADOSA
Paula just can’t clock up a routine service game.
Sabalenka has really found her rhythm after those early misfires and she is gunning some extraordinary winners off that forehand at times.
A howitzer of a backhand down the line from the Belarusian presses the Spaniard to deuce yet again, but this time Badosa comes up trumps with a ferocious forecourt forehand and a much-needed clutch serve to stop the rot and stay in touch.
09:24
SABALENKA 4-2 BADOSA
Aryna makes it four games in a row as she consolidates in style.
The top seed is having some joy with the drop shot and tees up an easy winner to the open court before a booming forehand down the line and a first ace leave Badosa struggling to live with the two-time champion’s increasingly high level.
A backhand return into the net finishes a strong game to 15 and Paula is going to have to offer something different if she’s to stay with her good friend here.
09:18
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BREAK! – SABALENKA 3-2 BADOSA
Badosa needs that first serve to fire because when Sabalenka unloads on the return there’s usually only one outcome.
The Spaniard comes under the cosh as a 30-15 lead evaporates and Aryna snares a break point with a clever drop shot.
The No.11 seed responds with an ace down the T and another clutch serve, but Sabalenka presses again at deuce with a huge crosscourt backhand.
Paula produces some more supreme defence in some blockbuster rallies, but keeps needing to dig deep to save a second and third BP.
It’s another epic 10-minute service game for the Spaniard, but she cannot keep resisting and a desperate backhand on the stretch sees her broken again at the fourth time of asking.
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09:07
SABALENKA 2-2 BADOSA
‘Let’s go!’ – screams Sabalenka as she surges forward to despatch a scorching drive volley to edge the hold to 30 and pull level on the board.
Badosa again made life difficult for the World No.1 but couldn’t press beyond 30-30 as the Belarusian came up with a clutch wide serve before closing-out the game in emphatic fashion.
09:02
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BREAK! – SABALENKA 1-2 BADOSA
‘There it is again,’ says Durie on Eurosport Comms as Sabalenka spews another forehand misfire off her racquet to move up to seven UEs already.
Badosa surges to a 40-0 lead but a near miss off a crosscourt forehand gives Aryna the platform to hit back.
The Belarusian finally gets her own forehand under control and nails a belting winner before more raw power eventually bursts through Paula’s defence to force deuce.
The Spaniard pulls off a beauty of a counter punch with a forehand missile on the run, but Saba looks to have settled and a pair of rasping returns earn a break back point.
A net cord return almost ends the game, but Badosa gets there and manages to follow up the pick-up with a backhand volley down the middle.
Sabalenka won’t let go, however, and the top seed’s relentless pace and depth on the return forces two more errors to help her break back in what proved to be a rollercoaster, eight-minute game.
08:53
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BREAK! – SABALENKA 0-2 BADOSA
‘Oh dear, some big errors here,’ says Jo Durie on Eurosport Comms.
‘Searching for her forehand at the moment, just not got the timing at all.’
Indeed, the Saba forehand falters badly as she coughs up a trio of wayward unforced errors off that flank from dominant positions in the point to break herself to 15.
It's a super start for Paula, but worrying times for the defending champion.