Aryna Sabalenka has had very few setbacks over the past couple of years.
In reaching her third consecutive Brisbane International final, she’s avenged two of them in consecutive rounds.
Karolína Muchová is one of the few players on tour with an overall winning record against the Belarusian world number one, winning their last three meetings for an overall 3-1 record.
Perhaps that’s why Sabalenka was so keyed in against the number 20-ranked Czech as she raced to a 6-3, 6-4 victory in an hour and 29 minutes on a steamy Saturday afternoon.
“I never stay in the past,” Sabalenka said.
“Of course I know the stats, but I’m just trying to do my best every time I play whoever, it doesn’t matter the head-to-head.”
Perhaps not, but another comfortably dismissive victory, coupled with the straight-sets victory over Madison Keys in the quarterfinal on Friday evening, Sabalenka’s form suggests she has once again hit the ground running in Australia.
Aryna Sabalenka is in irresistable form. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
Temperatures on Pat Rafter Arena were stifling — Sabalenka was icing herself at each change of ends.
But the steamy atmosphere perhaps assisted the fire with which she dismissed the world number 20.
The ferocity with which she attacked every loose shot sent her way was phenomenal.
That Muchova was able to fire them back with just as much spite and venom speaks volumes about her own form and game-style that has clearly caused Sabalenka problems in the past.
Sabalenka has managed that mix of annoyance and disgust at points taken off her well this tournament — it’s something she prides herself on. The intensity of the battle.
Every setback, minor or major, is met with a response that leaves you in no doubt where the power is.
“Think you’re in this match?” she may as well have said. “Well let me show you how under gunned you are,” with a brutal return ace down the line.
Karolína Muchová has the game to challenge Sabalenka, but not today. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
She is the world number one for a reason. Her authority in this respect is as clear in her off the court demeanour as it is on it.
Going 0-30 down off her own serve? That’s annoying. Here, have two 170km/h serves to deal with. Ace. Second-shot winner. Thanks for pushing my level back up. Have another couple. Winner. Ace. Game Sabalenka.
This resilience was clear in the quarterfinal victory over Keys.
Sabalenka dropped serve three times against Keys on Friday. But tellingly, each time she broke back, bludgeoning her way past the woman who beat her at Melbourne Park last year.
But Muchova’s level was such that one point, the one that sealed her second game of the match, drew an admiring clap off Sabalenka’s racquet.
“She’s incredible,” Sabalenka said.
“There were some points when she overplayed and played incredibly, so I had to just [give] applause for that.
“I struggled against her a couple of times. I’m happy that today I was focused from the beginning and I was able to show such great tennis and put her under so much pressure and got the win in straight sets. That’s just super great.”
The problem is, in order to beat Sabalenka, that level needs to be maintained.
And there were moments where it did arise, plenty of them in fact as Muchova reached into the depths of her own resilience — staving off two set points off her own serve by reeling off four points back-to-back to claim make Sabalenka serve for it.
She did. To love. And in such a way that left no doubts as to her class, mixing her service pace with elite intelligence to set up her winners.
Muchova ended that first set with a first serve percentage of an excellent 82 per cent, hitting four aces.
Good job too — Sabalenka brutalised the Czech’s second serve by winning four of the five points she faced, delivering returns that had spectators gasping in awe.
That dropped a bit in the second set, but the damage had already been done.
On serve Sabalenka was awesome. She won 94 per cent of her first service points to Muchova’s 70 per cent in the first set, ending with 88 per cent across the match. She didn’t face a break point until the final game of the match.
“I definitely feel that … I’m playing better and better [here],” Sabalenka said.
“That’s really important in a tournament heading to Melbourne, to build that level, and to play some great matches against great opponents.
“I’m super happy with the performance so far and cannot wait to play my final match here.”
Nakashima earns final spot
Brandon Nakashima is into his second ATP final. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
On the men’s side of the day, 24-year-old American Brandon Nakashima earned a spot in his fourth ever ATP final with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over Nick Kyrgios’ conqueror Aleksandar Kovasevic.
“It was a super tough match right from the beginning,” Nakashima said.
“I’m really happy with the level I played throughout the whole match and excited to keep playing in Brisbane.”
The world number 33 is yet to drop a set in what is his first career appearance at the Brisbane International.
Nakashima’s only other finals appearance came in 2022, with his sole title coming on his home court in San Diego against Marcos Giron.
“My team and I put in a lot of hard work in the last month or so, making sure the game was really tight heading into these types of tournaments and we’re obviously really happy that it’s paying off at the very first week of the year.”
He will face either number one seed Daniil Medvedev or fellow American ALex Michelsen in the final.