Aryna Sabalenka reaches final of WTA-500 tournament in Brisbane

Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka has become a finalist in the WTA-500 tournament in Brisbane, Australia, with a prize fund of $1.5 million, reports BelTA.

On January 4th, in the semifinal match, the world number one defeated Russian tennis player Mirra Andreeva, who is ranked 16th in the world, in an hour and a half with a score of 6:3, 6:2. In tomorrow's decisive match, Sabalenka's opponent will be another Russian, Polina Kudermetova (ranked 107th in the WTA), who won the first semifinal against Ukrainian Angelina Kalinina (ranked 55th) with a score of 6:4, 6:3.

On her way to the final, Aryna Sabalenka also defeated Mexican Renata Zarazua (ranked 75th) with a score of 6:4, 6:0, Kazakhstani Yulia Putintseva (ranked 29th) with a score of 7:6 (7:2), 6:4, and Czech tennis player Marie Bouzkova (ranked 44th) with a score of 6:3, 6:4. In the third-round match, Bouzkova defeated Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (ranked 20th) with a score of 6:4, 6:4.

A year ago, Aryna Sabalenka also reached the final of the Brisbane tournament, where she lost to Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina (0:6, 3:6). Victoria Azarenka reached the semifinals, where she lost to Sabalenka (2:6, 4:6). The current tournament will conclude on January 5.

For the world's leading tennis players, these competitions serve as a test of strength before the first Grand Slam tournament of the season - the Australian Open, which will be held in Melbourne from January 12-26. Belarusian tennis players have become champions of the Australian Open twice in a row: Aryna Sabalenka won the last two tournaments, and Victoria Azarenka won in 2012 and 2013.