Aryna Sabalenka eyes another title after frustrating Brisbane International semi final battle
Aryna Sabalenka is one step closer to claiming her third Brisbane International title after defeating Karolina Muchova in straight sets in the semi finals on Saturday.
The tournament's reigning champion has showed no signs of slowing down her strength from last season, cruising through each round in Brisbane without dropping a set.
The lastest opponent to fall into that statistic against the world No.1 was Muchova, although she refused to go down without a fight and posed a late threat against Sabalenka.
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Sabalenka fired through the first set with ease, claiming a 6-3 lead in 38 minutes.
But just over half an hour later, Sabalenka was trailing 3-4 in the second set.
Karolina Muchova plays a forehand. Getty
Muchova made the most of the minor errors her opponent was making on the court, with her successful returns only adding to the frustrations of Sabalenka.
While Sabalenka did manage to level the scores in a matter of time, she could not hide her anger when it came to the mistakes and shots that drifted marginally out.
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Once she punched back into the lead at 5-4, Sabalenka set her sights on nailing the final game, but that was not done as easily as she had hoped.
Instead, she was forced to battle through four sets of deuce before winning match point.
It is the first time the 27-year-old has defeated the Czech star since 2019, with Muchova winning the pair's last three meetings. Their last battle was in China in 2024.
Aryna Sabalenka celebrates after winning a point. Getty
"I worked really hard ... each match against her is another opportunity to get the win so I'm happy today was the day to get the win," Sabalenka told Nine post-match.
"She is such a great player. I always try to stay in the present.
"It is super special [to win again in Brisbane]. I am so excited for the next match."
Sabalenka admitted she will be keeping an eye on the second women's semi final match between Jessica Pegula and Marta Kostyuk ahead of the final on Sunday.
"Both are playing really great and incredible tennis," she added.
"Whoever wins I will go out there and fight and bring my best tennis."
