Coco Gauff 6-7 4-6 Aryna Sabalenka: result from the 2024 Australian Open semi-final as the reigning champion beats the US Open winner at Rod Laver Arena

C. Gauff vs A. Sabalenka | Australian Open

Women's Singles | Semi-final | 25.01.2024 | Rod Laver Arena

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C. Gauff (4)

A. Sabalenka (2)

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ByPaul Hassall

Updated 25/01/2024 at 10:30 GMT

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Highlights

10.30

GAME SET AND MATCH! – GAUFF 6-7 4-6 SABALENKA

The defending champion is back in the final!

The World No.2 outguns the US Open winner with an emphatic display to prevail in one hour and 42 minutes.

Aryna will now meet Dayana Yastremska or Zheng Qinwen in Saturday’s final.

Image credit: Getty Images

10.28

SABALENKA SERVING FOR THE MATCH

The nerves jangle for Aryna as she double faults for 15-15.

A third ace of the day puts her back in charge but an unforced error off the forehand tests her again at 30-30.

A big serve earns the No2 seed match point but Gauff hangs tough to make deuce with stunning winner down the line!

Another ace earns another MP - and this time a hefty first serve makes it count!

10.24

BREAK! – GAUFF 6-7 4-5 SABALENKA

The 19-year-old finds a second serve ace to make 30-30 and then fizzes a backhand winner up the line to save BP after Aryna had upped the ante with a stunning crosscourt backhand winner on the run.

Coco has been clutch so many times from deuce but the relentless pressure eventually tells and she looks resigned to the situation when she drags a backhand off the island to cough up the break.

Sabalenka will now serve for the match and a place in the 2024 final.

10.20

GAUFF 6-7 4-4 SABALENKA

Sabalenka hesitates on a mid-court forehand at 0-30 and is relieved to see it lick the tape and still fly to its intended destination down the line.

The World No.2 must have felt some butterflies but she sticks to her game-plan of unloading roar power.

Gauff defends brilliantly but Aryna remains measured to ping two more forehand winners and a big serve to pull off an excellent hold from what was developing into a tricky predicament.

10.15

GAUFF 6-7 4-3 SABALENKA

It’s another Houdini act from Gauff!

The American comes under the cosh at 0-30 after Sabalenka unleashes a venomous return winner via the forehand.

Clutch tennis gets the No.4 seed to Pulp (30-30) with a punchy, low smash at the net but Aryna’s power again cranks up the pressure to force BP.

Coco resists as Aryna’s backhand fails her and a fourth ace puts the US Open champion on top. A bruising rally ensues from there but it’s the Belarusian who falters with a surprising miss on the forehand into the net.

10.12

COCO HOPING TO BREAK THE PATTERN IN AUSTRALIAN OPEN SEMI-FINALS

10.08

GAUFF 6-7 3-3 SABALENKA

Sabalenka lands the first serve and nails winners off each flank to continue the serve-a-thon in this second set.

It’s finely-poised moving into the twitchy end of it, but who is going to blink first?

10.07

VIDEO: HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH THIS TYPE OF POWER?

Coco Gauff is doing her best to suggest she can, but it's been a real battle for the American so far.

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'Absurd' power from Sabalenka in first set tie-break against Gauff

10.06

GAUFF 6-7 3-2 SABALENKA

Gauff may well have got to grips with her serve which is surely going to be crucial to her hopes of trying to turn this semi-final around.

A third ace sees her take the lead in the ‘ace race’ and helps her to clock up back-to-back love holds.

10.04

VIDEO: SENSATIONAL SABALENKA BLASTS HER WAY TO THE OPENING SET

The reigning AO champion moved up a gear in the breaker to emphatically take it 7-2 and leave US Open champion Gauff needing to produce a similar comeback to the one that saw her triumph at Flushing Meadows.

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Sabalenka takes opening set with 'mightily impressive' tie-break against Gauff

10.03

GAUFF 6-7 2-2 SABALENKA

It’s suddenly turned rather routine on serve as Sabalenka levels up by finishing off another love game with a fine forehand volley down the line.

10.01

VIDEO: A TIE-BREAK TUMBLE

Coco is almost blown away by Sabalenka's power as the American came up second best in the Set 1 breaker.

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'I think she's okay' - Gauff falls over in the tie-break against Sabalenka

10.00

GAUFF 6-7 2-1 SABALENKA

Sabalenka takes on a succession of backhands down the line but fails with all of them and it’s just what the doctor ordered for Coco as she rushes through a rare, clean hold of her own.

09.58

GAUFF 6-7 1-1 SABALENKA

It’s another spectacular contrast as Aryna blitzes her way through a quick-fire clean hold, firing a trio of winners to take her tally to 21 for the match so far.

09.55

GAUFF 6-7 1-0 SABALENKA

Gauff really needs to find that first serve in this set and a maiden ace is a positive sign at first, but it doesn’t last and her travails continue.

A lob long under real pressure helps Aryna turn the screw at 30-30 and the Belarusian cannons a huge return that nearly knocks the back-pedalling Coco off her feet to snare BP.

Sabalenka darts to the net and should break from there but she dumps a second volley into the net at point-blank range.

The World No.2 does better on her next foray to the net to earn a second opportunity, but another ace rescues the No.4 seed in the nick of time.

Coco pretty much battles herself in a lengthy dual at deuce from there as double faults flow to take her tally to EIGHT for the match.

Eventually, the American conjures up a delicious stun-volley and it's followed by a backhand attempt down the line into the net from Aryna to allow the US Open champion to somehow survive an 11-minute examination.

09.44

SET! – GAUFF 6-7 SABALENKA

It’s first blood to the 2023 champion!

Sabalenka powers down a clutch wide serve to breach her opponent’s defences and take the breaker 7-2.

The set was often on the No.2 seed’s racquet but Coco’s grit saw her battle back time and time again until Sabalenka finally strung it all together in a world-class TB to secure a 56-minute opener.

Image credit: Getty Images

09.41

MULTIPLE SET POINTS TO SABALENKA

The Belarusian unleashes ANOTHER massive forehand and it's now 6-1 in the breaker....

09.39

TIE-BREAK LATEST: GAUFF 1-5 SABALENKA

It’s an ultra-aggressive start from Aryna and a brutal, wrong-footer of a forehand down the line leaves Coco needing to play catch-up yet again.

The American stumbles desperately chasing another howitzer into her backhand wing and then sizzles an inch wide with an attempted winner off that flank to trail 0-4.

Sabalenka’s run ends with a backhand into the net but Aryna blasts a crosscourt forehand return winner to leave Coco with it all to do at the change of ends.

09.36

BREAK! – GAUFF 6-6 SABALENKA

What a response!

The old Aryna may have unravelled after that, particularly having led 5-2.

However, she quickly goes on the offensive, once again exposing Gauff’s second serve and unleashing much more controlled power this time to avoid the disaster and force the breaker.

09.32

BREAK! – GAUFF 6-5 SABALENKA

Gauff has clearly got into Sabalenk’a head a little with her refusal to completely crack.

The Belarusian’s confident demeanour has disappeared and she’s now being engaged in more rallies, looking more and more fragile.

This game is a microcosm of the set in many ways, with Aryna taking charge only for Coco to peg her back.

An awkward, rushed backhand from Sabalenka flies wide to take it to deuce where she again has a chance to finish it off after hammering away a smash.

A pair of miscued forehands turns the tables against her though, and Gauff somehow breaks when the reigning champion moves into the net for an easy forehand, but then contrives to drag it wide.

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