Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the semi-finals of the Brisbane tournament on Friday, January 9 by defeating Madison Keys.
The world No.1 defeated Australian Open champion Madison Keys with a score of 6-3 6-3 in a match that lasted an hour and 29 minutes.
The four-time Grand Slam champion controlled the match against Madison Keys by using her first serve effectively and made just three unforced errors to win the first set.
Keys fought back from being one point away from losing while serving but Sabalenka stayed strong and eventually won the match.
After winning the match, the 27-year-old expressed, "I know that I lost in Australia against her, and that's the big motivation of course to go out and to get the win."
She added, "But I never stay in the past and never remember things from the previous meeting. My approach is like it's a new match, doesn't matter what happened in the past, I have to go out there and play my best tennis."
Since losing to Keys in last year’s Australian Open final, Sabalenka has now beaten the world No. 7 in two straight-set matches.
The Belarusian will now face Karolina Muchova, who defeated world number five Elena Rybakina, in the Brisbane semi-final for a spot in the final.
