The 2024 Australian Open women’s semifinals showcase a mix of seasoned hard-court Grand Slam champions and two first-time semifinalists.
In the spotlight for Thursday’s semifinal matches is the clash between No. 4 seed Coco Gauff and No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka, the defending Australian Open champion, faced defeat at the hands of Gauff in the U.S. Open last fall.
Entering unfamiliar territory at a Grand Slam event, Dayana Yastremska and No. 12 seed Zheng Qinwen are set to compete in the other semifinal match. Yastremska’s recent struggles in major tournaments contrast with Zheng’s advancement to the fourth round only once in her major career.
Kicking off the action on Thursday at 3:30 a.m. ET inside Rod Laver Arena, Gauff and Sabalenka will vie for victory in their seventh career meeting. Gauff emerged victorious in their last encounter, securing her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 U.S. Open.
The head-to-head record between Gauff and Sabalenka reveals intense battles, with four out of six matches extending to three sets. As the last two hard-court major champions, their anticipated matchup has been building momentum throughout the tournament.
In the preceding rounds, many top seeds in the bottom half of the women’s singles draw succumbed early, while Gauff and Sabalenka showcased remarkable consistency by winning their initial four matches in straight sets.
While Sabalenka, as the defending champion, holds a slight edge, another three-set battle between these formidable players is anticipated.
On the unexpected side of the women’s semifinals, Yastremska and Zheng present a contrasting narrative. Yastremska, with a history of early exits in Grand Slams, defeated three-seeded players in the early rounds and benefitted from the fourth-round elimination of top seed Iga Swiatek.
In contrast, Zheng’s path to the semifinals was more predictable, building on her success at the 2023 U.S. Open. Although she has not faced any ranked opponents due to upsets in the top half of the bracket, Zheng’s journey has been marked by several three-set matches.
As Zheng emerges as the favorite to potentially face the Gauff-Sabalenka winner in the final, the prospect of her winning in straight sets remains uncertain, given the competitive challenges she has encountered in Australia so far.
