World number 10 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reached the semifinal of the Abu Dhabi WTA Women's Tennis Open on 11 January, BelTA has learned.
The Belarusian secured a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Kazakhstan's world number 19 Elena Rybakina in two hours.
Earlier, Aryna Sabalenka took a 7-6(5), 6-2 win over Slovenia's Polona Hercog (World No.49) in the first round and beat Australia's world number 68 Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-4 in the second one. In the round of Last 16 the Belarusian defeated world number 31 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 6-2, 6-4. Aryna Sabalenka will face either U.S. world number 4 Sofia Kenin or Greece's world number 22 Maria Sakkari for a spot in the final.
Belarus' world number 90 Aliaksandra Sasnovich first defeated Hungary's world number 275 Anna Bondar 6-2, 6-4 and then lost to world number 15 Garbine Muguruza of Spain 1-6, 4-6 in the round of Last 32. In the doubles round of Last 32 the Belarusian tandem of Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Lidziya Marozava lost to Russia's Darya Kasatkina and Estonia's Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (10-8), 6-7 (4-7), 5-10.
The tournament in the UAE will be over on 13 January. The world's leading players will then travel to Australia where they will face a two-week quarantine. Melbourne will host two events from 31 January to 6 February, so-called rehearsals ahead of the Grand Slam opening tournament, the Australian Open. The Australian Open 2021 is due to take place at the Melbourne Park on 8-21 February. Aryna Sabalenka, two-time Australian Open winner and former world number one Victoria Azarenka (13) and Aliaksandra Sasnovich will play in the women's event. Egor Gerasimov (78) will represent Belarus in the men's event.
