Aryna Sabalenka moved one win away from becoming the first woman since 1999 to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, recovering from a slow start to beat good friend Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday and return to the final.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Aryna Sabalenka continued her charge towards a third-straight Australian Open title by overwhelming her “soulmate” Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 in Thursday evening’s semifinal.

When Madison Keys finally finished off her 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8) upset of No. 2 Iga Swiatek in a high-intensity, high-quality Australian Open semifinal on Thursday night, saving a match point along the way,

Aryna Sabalenka will get the opportunity to shoot for a third consecutive Australian Open title after thrashing Paula Badosa in the semi-final at Rod Laver Arena.

Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a third consecutive Australian Open championship will continue after she got past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a surprisingly difficult quarterfinal.

The women's singles semifinals are set to offer two exciting matchups, each featuring top-level tennis and contrasting playing styles.

The first of two Australian Open women’s singles semifinals is set for an early Thursday morning start in Melbourne as No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka battles No. 11 Paula Badosa.

Sabalenka plays Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa, while Swiatek will face Madison Keys. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has moved into the Australian Open quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-2 win over 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.