Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka has not lost a match this year.
In fact she has not lost a set.
The 24-year-old took out the first of the Adelaide tournaments then has gone on to dominate her matches at the Australian Open.
And while she endured a coupLe of tight tiebreakers in Adelaide, her Australian Open form has been even more impressive.
Belinda Bencic, who won the second Adelaide tournament in style, Sabalenka’s latest victim.
“Today I felt like I couldn’t handle her power,” Bencic said.
“I think that was the biggest difference.
“But still … I don’t feel like this is a really bad loss. She’s for sure very in-form right now and also playing very good.”
Sabalenka hasn’t exactly beaten average players either and her much-publicised woes on serve seem to be behind her.
Her last three rounds have seen her dominate American Shelby Rogers, Belgian seed Elise Mertens and of course Bencic.
Over the course of the tournament Sabalenka has hit 121 winners and just 76 unforced errors at Melbourne Park.
Her road to the final now involves a quarterfinal against unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic and then a semi against either Karolina Pliskova or Magda Linette.
Sabalenka, who has long been touted as a potential slam winner after finals making multiple semifinals is hoping 2022 is the start of something big.
“I want to believe that the way I’m working right now, the way I’m on the court right now, this is the new beginning, and this is the next step,” she said.
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