Brisbane International Tennis: Holger Rune beats James Duckworth in quarterfinal
Australian Open defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has had a hot start to the summer after racing into the semi-finals of the Brisbane International after a dominant win over Daria Kasatkina.
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Aryna Sabalenka fired a warning ahead of her Australian Open defence by powering into the Brisbane International semi-finals on Friday with a straight-sets demolition of Daria Kasatkina.
Sabalenka’s 6-1, 6-4 victory was her 14th consecutive win on Australian soil after also claiming the Adelaide crown in the lead-up to last year’s opening Grand Slam of the year.The Belarusian raced through the first set against the Russian in 32 minutes, but had to fight harder in the second, breaking Kasatkina once and holding on to win the match in 1hr 26min.
“I had to be focused from the start because if I gave her any opportunities she was going to put me under pressure,” said the world number two.
“So I just tried to stay focused and play my best on every point.”
Sabalenka will now play fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka with a 2023 Australian Open final replay against second seed Elena Rybakina a possibility for Sunday’s decider.
Former Grand Slam champions Azarenka and Rybakina reached the semis in contrasting fashion.
Two-time Australian Open winner Azarenka took 2hr 30min before finally outlasting third-seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in the first match on Pat Rafter Arena.
Rybakina was then handed a spot in the last four when her Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova withdrew with a stomach problem after losing the first set 6-1.Azarenka was in control early as she took the first set with one break of serve, but as the match progressed Ostapenko began to find her range and deservedly levelled.Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, was comfortable on serve in the third set while Azarenka struggled to hold hers.
But at 5-6 and serving to send the set into a tiebreak, the Latvian cracked and a poor service game handed the Belarusian victory.“I thought the quality of tennis was incredible,” Azarenka said.
“She was blasting returns, blasting winners, so I had to stick in there.“I was looking forward to seeing how my game was going to match up this year, and I think it’s pretty good.” In another quarter-final, Rybakina raced to a 4-1 lead when Potapova asked for the trainer to treat what appeared to be a stomach injury.
She played the next two games but withdrew when 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina took the first set.
Rybakina will face Linda Noskova next after the Czech player saw off 16-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-3.In the men’s draw, top seed Holger Rune looked in great touch as the Dane downed Australian qualifier James Duckworth 6-2, 7-6 (8/6).
The world number eight will play Roman Safiullin in the semi-finals after the unseeded Russian beat Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.Spanish great Rafael Nadal plays his quarter-final against Jordan Thompson later Friday.
If he wins he will take on Bulgarian second seed Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Australian Rinky Hijikata 6-1, 6-4.
RUNE SHAKES OFF RUST TO BOOK SEMI-FINAL SPOT
He is one of the most powerful hitters on the ATP tour but even James Duckworth was left flabbergasted by some of the shots Holger Rune uncorked against him on Friday.
Duckworth, 31, had a maiden top 10 win and third career ATP semi-final berth in his sights when he led the Brisbane International No.1 seed early in their quarter-final clash on Pat Rafter Arena.
A misfiring Rune let loose four unforced errors to gift Duckworth an easy opening service game and the Aussie looked up for the fight against the world No.8.
But Danish sensation Rune, who earlier this week dispatched Aussie Max Purcell in the first round, quickly clicked into gear to ground out a 6-2 7-6 (6) win.
Duckworth, who was 0-10 against top 10 opponents entering the match, tried to go blow for blow with his more fancied foe but could not believe some of the winners Rune made as the match wore on.
The 20-year-old Dane, who this week declared he is ready to win a Grand Slam and will head to Melbourne as one of the big Australian Open fancies, rattled off ridiculous winner after ridiculous winner that left even the Aussie crowd in awe.
In the span of two points he turned the hostile home fans to his favour with a pair of stunning forehand strikes that had Duckworth shaking his head in disbelief.
After the second, to bring up break point, Rune gestured to the crowd to show him some love – having just heard its roar of support for Duckworth’s own forehand winner.
Rune wrapped up the set soon after, but the fighting spirit of Duckworth refused to hand his rival an easy victory.
Rust returned to Rune’s ground strokes throughout the second set as Duckworth pushed the top seed all the way in an enthralling battle that could only be decided in a tie-breaker.
Duckworth saved consecutive match points with his trademark grit but Rune rifled down a 13th ace of the match to seal a second Aussie scalp of the week.
The No.1 seed will face big-serving Russian Roman Safiullin in a semi-final on Saturday.
Safiullin, who survived five match points against Aussie Alexei Popyrin in the second round, dispatched Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 (4) 6-2 on Friday to clinch his place in the final four.
The two have never played each other in singles, though Safiullin has already tasted victory over the Dane in Brisbane this week.
“Andy (Murray) and I, we played him (Safiullin) in the first round of doubles and he was serving bombs at like 230 (km/h) – he’s playing great this tournament,” Rune said.
“One guy has to stop him, so I’ll try.”
HIJIKATA NEXT AUSSIE KNOCKED OUT
Rinky Hijikata’s dream Brisbane International run came to a crashing conclusion at the hands of No.2 seed Grigor Dimitrov on Friday.
Hijikata was no match for the booming serve of the Bulgarian world No.14, who cruised into his fifth Brisbane semi-final with a 6-1 6-4 win in just over an hour.
Dimitrov, a 2017 Brisbane champion and the winningest player in the tournament’s history, proved a class above his Aussie rival, who was playing in just his second-ever ATP quarter-final.
With his run to the final eight in Brisbane, Hijikata rose to No.70 in the ATP live rankings – one spot ahead of fellow Aussie, Christopher O’Connell.
Earlier on Friday, two-time tournament champion Victoria Azarenka continued her bid for another Brisbane title with an enthralling three-set victory over No.3 seed Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3 3-6 7-5.
The 34-year-old would become the oldest winner in the tournament’s history if she goes on to lift the trophy on Sunday.
Serena Williams was 32 when she won in 2014.
Azarenka won the title in 2009 and 2016 and was a runner-up to Williams in 2014.
The going was much easier for 2023 Australian Open finalist Elena Rybakina, who won the opening set 6-1 against Anastasia Potapova before the Russian retired due to injury.
World No.4 Rybakina has dropped just seven games in her three matches so far in Brisbane.
She will meet Czech teenager Linda Noskova in the semi-finals on Saturday, after the 19-year-old proved too strong for teenage Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva on Friday.
Andreeva, 16, had not dropped a set en route to the quarter-finals. She defeated no.4 seed Liudmila Samsonova in the second round and top-ranked Aussie Arina Rodionova before squaring off against Noskova.
In the first meeting between the talented teens it was Noskova who prevailed, 7-5 6-3.
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