BRISBANE: World number one Aryna Sabalenka sent an Australian Open warning as she beat Madison Keys on Friday in Brisbane in a repeat of last year’s Melbourne final.

Keys stunned Sabalenka nearly 12 months ago but the Belarusian took revenge on the American with a statement 6-3, 6-3 victory to reach the semi-finals.

Keys was playing less than 24 hours after her marathon three-hour win over Russia’s Diana Shnaider and had heavy strapping on her thigh.

She turned in an uncharacteristically error-strewn performance and struggled on serve as Sabalenka struck a series of superb returns.

Sabalenka is aiming for her third Melbourne title in four years when the Australian Open begins on Jan 18.

She will play Czech surprise package Karolina Muchova in the last four after the 11th seed held her nerve to see off world number five Elena Rybakina 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Muchova raced through the first set against an out-of-sorts Rybakina, who eventually found some rhythm to claim the second.

But Muchova broke the former Wimbledon champion once in the third set to get over the line, helped by her opponent’s 42 unforced errors.

Muchova has won her past three matches against Sabalenka, although the last was in 2024 at the China Open.

Fourth seed Jessica Pegula moved into the semi-finals with a comfortable 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) win over Russian Liudmila Samsonova.

She will now play Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk for a place in the final after Kostyuk upset rising Russian star Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (9/7), 6-3.

In the men’s draw, former world number one Daniil Medvedev came from a set down to beat Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-2 to set up a semi-final against Alex Michelsen of the US.

The second semi-final will be an all-American clash between Brandan Nakashima and Aleksa­ndar Kovacevic.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2026