Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka were both a bit rusty after suffering shoulder injuries in Berlin and not playing for more than five weeks. On Thursday in the Round of 16 at the Mubadala Citi DC Open they were both pushed to the limit. 

One day after her 35th birthday, the No.6-seeded Azarenka defeated Wang Yafan 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 in 2 hours, 46 minutes. Meanwhile, No. 1 Sabalenka survived a 2-hour, 45-minute marathon to hold off qualifier Kamilla Rakhimova, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

But on Friday, Sabalenka asserted herself, beating Azarenka 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the semifinals. She plays Marie Bouzkova, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over wild card Robin Montgomery, on Saturday. The other semifinal features wild card Paula Badosa against unseeded Caroline Dolehide.

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Sabalenka stroked eight aces and won 30 of 39 first-serve points. The difference in the match: Azarenka lost 18 of her 22 second serves. Azarenka’s serve was broken four times.

Azarenka has achieved 13 wins over Top 3 ranked opponents but has now won only one of her past 13 matches against a Top 3 ranked player with only win in that span coming at 2023 Australian Open over Jessica Pegula.

This is Sabalenka’s first appearance in Washington, D.C. in seven years.

“I haven’t played for a while,” Sabalenka said before the tournament. “I felt like I need to build my confidence back and build my level back before going to the U.S. Open. So I need to play some matches, and that’s why I’m here.”

This match seemed destined to happen from the time the draw came out. Sabalenka and Azarenka are separated by nine years, but they share a number of surprising similarities. 

They were both live in South Florida, and they each won back-to-back Australian Opens. They have both reigned as the Hologic WTA Tour No.1-ranked player -- and recently withdrew from Wimbledon with right shoulder injuries. Both like to dominate play from the baseline. They were also the only two seeded players left when the quarterfinals were contested, looking to work their way back to health at the beginning of the North American hard-court season.

Sabalenka now leads their head-to-head record 5-1.

“I had a lot of great matches against Victoria,” Sabalenka said. “I’m really looking forward to facing her.”

The first set was highly competitive, with the players trading service breaks to arrive at Azarenka serving at 4-5. In a game that required 10 minutes, Sabalenka finally converted her fourth set point when an Azarenka backhand sailed long.

A double fault in her first service game of the second set cost Azarenka a service break. At 3-0, she got it back to level the second set when Sabalenka missed a shot by a millimeter.

With Azarenka serving at 4-5, a double fault gave Sabalenka the match.

Sabalenka holds a 1-0 head-to-head advantage over Bouzkova, a 6-1, 6-2 Round of 32 win at last year's Miami Open.