01/27/26 02:11:00
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01/27 02:06 CST Sabalenka beats 18-year-old Jovic to reach the Australian Open
semifinals. Zverev advances over Tien
Sabalenka beats 18-year-old Jovic to reach the Australian Open semifinals.
Zverev advances over Tien
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) --- Aryna Sabalenka beat 18-year-old Iva Jovic 6-3,
6-0 to reach the semifinals of the Australian Open on Tuesday before searing
heat on Day 10 forced matches to be played under cover.
Alexander Zverev got the benefit of playing under a roof at Rod Laver Arena and
advanced to the final four with a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-6 (3) win over
20-year-old Learner Tien. The No. 3-ranked Zverev, last year's runner-up in
Australia, reached his 10th Grand Slam semifinal on the back of 24 aces and
just a single double-fault --- which he served when he had six match points in
the deciding tiebreaker.
Top-ranked Sabalenka, also a runner-up in Melbourne last year, is aiming for
her third Australian Open title in four years. She won back-to-back titles here
in 2023 and 2024 and lost the final a year ago to Madison Keys.
The first of the four quarterfinals scheduled on Day 10 was played outdoors,
despite predictions of the temperature peaking at 45 degrees Celsius (113
Fahrenheit) in Melbourne.
"I guess, yeah, as a woman, we are stronger than the guys," Sabalenka said her
later news conference, laughing. "So they had to close the roof for the guys so
they don't suffer!"
Sabalenka went up 3-0 in the first set and established her dominance early
against the 29th-seeded Jovic.
Jovic had three breakpoint chances in the ninth game, which lasted 10 minutes,
but wasn't able to convert against the world's No. 1-ranked woman. In the last
game, Sabalenka served an ace on break point and clinched it with another ace
on match point. She saved all five break points she faced.
It gave her back-to-back wins over up-and-coming teenagers following her
fourth-round victory over 19-year-old Canadian Vicky Mboko.
"These teenagers have tested me in the last couple of rounds -- incredible
player," Sabalenka said of Jovic in an on-court interview.
"It was a tough match," Sabalenka added. "Don't look at the score. She played
incredible tennis and she pushed me to a one-step better level. It was a
battle."
Jovic was born in California and is the daughter of parents who immigrated to
the United States. Her father is Serbian and Jovic, naturally, has sought some
tips from no other than Novak Djokovic.
Zverev said Tien's level had increased dramatically since last year, when the
young American reached the fourth round.
He credited the recent work Tien has done with Michael Chang, the 1989 French
Open champion, as coach. Chang won that major at Roland Garros at the age of
17, which remains the youngest for a male to have won a Grand Slam singles
title.
"Yeah, he's a very good player. Very different than last year, for sure,"
Zverev said of Tien, the only player outside the Top 10 to reach the
quarterfinals. "It was incredible to see how he played from the baseline. I
thought he was playing unbelievable.
"For me to win, I think, you know, the serve was very important for me, because
on the baseline, again, he was playing amazing."
The temperature topped 42 Celsius (108 F) at 5 p.m. local time, but started to
drop ahead of the night session. Play was suspended on outside courts all
afternoon.
In the first of the night matches at Rod Laver Arena, No. 3 Coco Gauff was
scheduled to meet Elina Svitolina. Sabalenka will play the winner of that match
in the semifinals.
Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz faced Alex de Minaur in the night cap. Alcaraz has
won six Grand Slam titles but has never won the Australian Open and has lost in
the quarterfinals here the last two years.
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More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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