Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka powered her way into the final of the Australian Open following a 7-6 6-4 victory over Coco Gauff.
In a meeting of the two form players in the women’s draw in Melbourne, Gauff seemed to struggle with the occasion and was beset by double faults early on.
Although the US Open champion found her rhythm to push her opponent in their first meeting since the final in New York, Sabalenka’s brand of power tennis was just too much.
The Belarusian is the overwhelming favourite to lift the title on Saturday, having yet to drop a set for the duration of this year’s tournament.
There she will face Zheng Qinwen, who overcame a nervy start to beat Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska 6-4 6-4.
The first semi-final between Sabalenka and Gauff was the more highly anticipated, preceded by world No2 Sabalenka starting with her usual bizarre pre-match ritual of signing the head of her fitness coach, which has become a repeated superstition since the first round.
She then got off to an electric start to break Gauff’s first service game, only for the American to break straight back. Both players were a bit tight and Sabalenka scuppered an opportunity to round off the set when serving at 5-3 following another break.
That set eventually went to a tiebreak, which Sabalenka dominated from start to finish.
Such was the relentlessness of her aggression and power in the second set, it led to Billie Jean King, no doubt supporting her fellow American from the stands, to bury her head into her hands as the match progressed.
That Gauff stayed with her rival on court was no mean feat but Sabalenka broke for a 5-4 lead and moments later served for the match.
In the second semi-final on Rod Laver Arena, Zheng was broken early as she struggled with her ground strokes to fall 2-0 behind. But she went on a run of winning six of the next eight games to take the opening set.
Yastremska needed a medical timeout after that but recovered to threaten to turn the last-four encounter to her advantage.
The pair traded a trio of breaks in the second set with 21-year-old Zheng, who had showed her potential on the biggest stage with a quarter-final run at last year's US Open, proving the better for the win.
She is bidding to emulate her idol Li Na 10 years after her fellow Chinese player won the title in Melbourne.
