Sabalenka to face rematch with Mirra Andreeva in Brisbane semis

No.1 seed Aryna Sabalenka will take on No.8 Mirra Andreeva for the fourth time in Saturday's Brisbane International semifinals after both players won their quarterfinal matches in straight sets.

The evening session saw Sabalenka avenge a loss to Marie Bouzkova in last year's Washington semifinals, defeating the unseeded Czech player 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour and 44 minutes. Earlier, Andreeva had improved to 2-0 overall against her childhood idol Ons Jabeur, saving two set points in the second set before closing out a 6-4, 7-6(2) victory.

Sabalenka leads the head-to-head against Andreeva 2-1, with all three previous encounters coming on clay. Sabalenka won their first two meetings in straight sets in the 2023 and 2024 editions of Madrid, but Andreeva got on the board with a 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4 triumph in last year's Roland Garros quarterfinals.

Sabalenka pulls through tight opening and closing stages

Bouzkova's previous record and speedy game style had been expected to pose a stern test for Sabalenka, not least by the World No.1 herself.

"No matter how good your shot is, you'll get an extra ball," Sabalenka said afterward. "So it's really difficult against her all the time."

This was most evident at the start and the end of their Brisbane contest. The first two games featured six deuces, and after breaking Sabalenka in the first game, Bouzkova had three opportunities to hold for a 2-0 lead. But Sabalenka came up with a series of spectacular forehands to navigate her way to an immediate break back.

The three-time major champion later required five match points to seal victory. From 5-3 down, Bouzkova saved two match points on her own serve, then held two break points to level the second set at 5-5 as Sabalenka's forehand began to misfire. Once again, Sabalenka was clutch when she needed to be, converting her fifth match point by slamming a service winner down the tee.

In between, Sabalenka was rock solid. Bouzkova kept her game as watertight as ever, committing a paltry eight unforced errors, but Sabalenka's tally of 42 winners to 34 unforced errors put her firmly in control. Sabalenka's confidence was such that she even pulled off a tweener midway through the second set, though an unbothered Bouzkova nonetheless finished off the match's best point with a backhand winner down the line.

Polina Kudermetova continues breakthrough; to face Kalinina

The bottom-half semifinal will feature a pair of unseeded players. Anhelina Kalinina defeated local wild card Kimberly Birrell 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, saving one match point serving down 5-4 in the second set. She will meet No.107-ranked qualifier Polina Kudermetova, who emerged on top of a clean-hitting power battle over Ashlyn Krueger 7-6(5), 6-3.

Kudermetova, 21, reached her first WTA semifinal at the end of 2024 in Merida, and has started 2025 with her second, and first at WTA 500 level. She is guaranteed to make her Top 100 debut in next week's edition of the PIF WTA Rankings. Meanwhile, Kalinina will be bidding to reach her third career WTA final, and first since Rome 2023.