Sabalenka targets Big W final, Swiatek battle looms

Aryna Sabalenka is closing in on a fourth straight Grand Slam final and a potential Wimbledon showdown with fierce rival Iga Swiatek as she gears up for Thursday's last-four clash against Amanda Anisimova.

- Agencies

The world number one did not drop a set at the All England Club in the first four rounds but had to survive an almighty scare to see off 104th-ranked Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals.

The Belarusian, who struggled to cope with the varied game of her German opponent, was twice a break down in the deciding set before prevailing 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in nearly three hours.

The 27-year-old is bidding to reach her first Wimbledon final when she takes on American 13th seed Anisimova.

Sabalenka won last year’s US Open to collect her third major, but suffered agonising defeats in the finals of this year’s Australian Open and French Open.

Now she is facing an opponent who has won five of their eight meetings, though Sabalenka came out on top at Roland Garros last month.

Anisimova, who beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the semifinals, was ranked below 400 when she returned from a mental health sabbatical at the beginning of the 2024 season.