The Australian Open
AO Women: Day 9 review
Victoria Azarenka rolled back the years to her second Australian Open title of a decade ago as she dominated third seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-1 on Tuesday to move into the semi-finals.
The loss in 99 minutes left the American daughter of a billionaire NFL football owner stranded after losing five quarter-finals at the majors.
Azarenka, who won back-to-back Melbourne trophies in 2012-2013, achieved her last result of note at a major with her 2020 US Open final, which she lost to
Naomi Osaka.
She claimed her 47th match win at the tournament and will play for the final against Elena Rybakina, who beat Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4.
Pegula was completely outclassed by the wily veteran, who would not be denied at her preferred Grand Slam venue.
Azarenka broke five times and fired 17 winners with 20 unforced errors.
The elimination of Pegula means none of the leading four seeds will have survived into the semi-finals.
“It hurts to beat her,” Azarenka said of her frequent practice partner. “But I knew from the first point that I had to bring it.
“We had so many rallies. I’m proud I executed my game plan. It’s amazing to be in the semi-finals of another Grand Slam,” she said after winning with Aussie legend Rod Laver in the house.
“It’s nerve-wracking, you want to play your best tennis in front of the best.”
Rybakina, whose Wimbledon title last summer was barely noticed due to the ban on Russian playersl and the lack of ranking points available, got back into the spotlight in Melbourne.
Her defeat of fellow Grand Slam winner Ostapenko (Roland Garros 2017) put her into the final four here for the first time.
“Both of us are very aggressive players, and we were trying to push each other, put pressure from the first ball.”
The Laver roof had to be closed midway through due to rain, which changed conditions of play.
The winner advanced on her third match point – an ace – and said her big-match confidence has grown over the past few months.
“I got all the experience at Wimbledon, and it’s helping me now in Australia,” she said.
“It has gotten easier in this case after Wimbledon.
“I’m feeling good on the court and just really enjoying every match I’m playing here.”
Rybakina said the rain interruption to close the roof was not a problem for her: “I played really well today, even with this rain delay and everything.
“Overall the match was very solid from me.
“The break was not so long. In the end, I just stayed a bit in the gym, warmed up again, talked with the team, and went again on court.”
Tennis style icon Naomi Osaka has no plans to try for one-upmanship in the informal fashion stakes at Roland Garros.
The former world No. 1 from Japan has sometimes made more news with her style choices than her racquet, especially after taking time off several seasons ago to have a child.
But Osaka has run against the traditional tennis grain with some of her outfits, which included an exo-skeleton ensemble at January’s Australian Open, where she walked onto court for her opening match wearing a large hat, veil, and carrying a parasol combination and wearing a pair of pleated pants..
The clothing was discarded before the start revealing a tennis dress, with the quirky player explaining the get-up was inspired by “the jellyfish, then butterflies, which ties back to the butterfly moment I had here a long time ago, in 2021,”
The world No. 16 also put on a fashion show at the spring Met Gala in New York, sporting a wedding dress-style garment combined with another huge hat..
For Osaka, it’s just another day in the office, but she said nothing special is planned when Roland Garros kicks of on Sunday in Paris.
“I don’t talk a lot, so that way I can talk through my clothes,” she said on Saturday prior to the start of the year’s second major.
“That means I can be as loud with colors or patterns or
fabric as I want.
“I think that’s the fun part.. I feel we lost that a little in tennis. I grew up with, you know, Serena’s and Venus’s (Williams) grand reveals (included beaded hair and catsuits on court).
“I know there are some kids or some people who are similar to me that hopefully feel that same way about my outfits.
“But, yeah, I am a little dramatic when it comes to my fashion sense.”
Nick Kyrgios is being touted for a return to tennis after playing just one singles match all season, with the controversial Australian due in the lineups for Stuttgart and Halle in June.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist who turns 31 in a week, has been added to the entry lists for the pair of run-up events prior to the grass-court major which starts on June 29.
Kyrgios, who has missed months on end due to injury and motivational worries, has played just one Grand Slam match since 2022, losing in the Australian Open first round in 2025.
His lone outing this season was an ATP defeat in Brisbane on January 6.
Nevertheless, the acquired taste is feted as a crowd-puller and will have German organisers on alert as to his eventual availability.
“Nick Kyrgios has been one of the most dazzling personalities in world tennis for years,” Halle tournament organisers said in a statement.
“The Australian is known for his exceptional playing style, characterised by one of the best serves on the tour, spectacular winners, and great creativity.
“At the same time, his emotional personality and charisma attract considerable attention far beyond the sport.”
Stuttgart start the day after the Roland Garros final while Halle follows a week later in northern Germany from June 13-21.
Novak Djokovic has been making it plain that the end of his career is approaching, with the 38-year-old dropping his strongest hint ever about his future on court.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion who has been keeping his ATP scheduling options open and has competed this season only at the Australian Open (finals loss to Carlos Alcaraz) and winning two rounds last month at Indian Wells.
“Tennis is still very important to me, but it’s no longer everything,” the Serb told Esquire Australia, adding that family matters and two children are starting to take precedence in his life.
“It’s one of the biggest challenges – finding the right balance between tennis and family life, especially as my children are growing and have school commitments, so they can’t travel with me as much as before.
“When I’m on the court, I’m motivated not just to win, but to set an example – to show them values like dedication, resilience, and love for what you do. That motivation is very powerful and very personal.”
Main photo:- Novak Djokovic was runner up to Carlos Alcaraz in AO26 – by ISF Ltd
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