Tennis Svitolina brushes Gauff aside to set up Sabalenka test

ELINA Svitolina stunned Coco Gauff to set up an Australian Open semifinal against world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

- Eleanor CROOKS

Ukrainian Svitolina needed just 59 minutes to swat aside an out-of-sorts Gauff 6-1, 6-2 and she is through to the last four at Melbourne Park for the first time at the age of 31.

It will be the fourth grand slam semifinal of Svitolina’s career and the second since she returned to the tour following the birth of daughter Skai in 2022, with the former world number three making an emotional run at Wimbledon the following year.

The match was played under the roof on Rod Laver Arena, with the extreme heat that saw temperatures hit the mid-40s not having dropped far enough for outdoor play.