World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ended the 18-year-old American Iva Jovic's dream run, securing a 6-3, 6-0 win to reach her fourth consecutive Australian Open semifinal on Tuesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sabalenka is the only player still standing in the women’s field to have previously lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. With her place in a fourth consecutive Melbourne semifinal, the top seed has reached the last four at a major for the 14th time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In a dominant display, the top seed struck 31 winners to Jovic’s 12 and won 61 per cent of points on the 29th seed’s second serve.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jovic at 18 was the youngest player to reach the last eight at the Australian Open without dropping a set since Venus Williams in 1998.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sabalenka, who is yet to drop a set, will face either No. 3 seed Coco Gauff or No. 12 seed Elina Svitolina next.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the pair’s first-ever meeting, Sabalenka immediately exerted her authority by pouncing on Jovic’s second serves to break and quickly consolidated for a 3-0 lead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jovic prevented herself from falling to an even bigger deficit. Her stunning ball-striking troubled Sabalenka.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Serving for the set at 5-3, the top seed saved one break point before Jovic fended off a first set point. The four-time major champion saved another two break points with her trusty serve and set up a second set point with a cracking forehand winner down the line, only to be denied when Jovic returned her serve, the Australian Open reports.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sabalenka then struck a brilliant backhand to earn a third set point and pummelled another backhand down the line to claim the set.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the second set, Sabalenka surged to an early lead, placing yet another backhand winner, leading her to break in the 29th seed’s opening service game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sabalenka then struck a brilliant backhand to earn a third set point and pummelled another backhand down the line to claim the set.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sabalenka saved the two serves and seconds later claimed victory and a semifinal berth with an ace out wide on match point.<\/p>\r\n\r\n