There are two excellent WTA semifinals for fans to enjoy in Brisbane. It includes a match between two Australian Open champions, with Aryna Sabalenka taking on Victoria Azarenka. Last year’s Australian Open runner-up Elena Rybakina is also in action in the other semifinal. As always, we at LWOT predict the outcomes of both semifinals. But which two women do you think will make the final?
WTA Brisbane Semifinal Predictions
Elena Rybakina vs Linda Noskova
Head-to-head: Rybakina 1-0 Noskova
Noskova reminded the tennis world in her previous round that Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff are not the only talented teenagers on the WTA Tour. She did that by defeating Andreeva comfortably in straight sets. Rybakina had an even easier quarterfinal, with Anastasia Potapova retiring after the first set. target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”The 2022 Wimbledon champion did perform extremely well in the previous round against Elise Mertens though.
Noskova was a runner-up in Adelaide last year, and is very comfortable in Australian conditions. Can she cause a shock here? It is not impossible, but Rybakina should still just about have the edge. The power and flatness of her shots is likely to overwhelm the 19-year-old enough times, who usually plays her best tennis when she has enough time on medium speed hard courts. Rybakina will leave her rushing more than usual, and should claim victory in Brisbane.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Aryna Sabalenka vs Victoria Azarenka
Head-to-head: Sabalenka 3-1 Azarenka
Sabalenka leads the head-to-head, but these two Australian Open winners have not played in over two years. Last year’s winner in Melbourne, Sabalenka, is now an even better player than her previous encounters with Azarenka. The 25-year-old has also also been in ominously good form. She has lost just nine games in six sets in Brisbane, with last year’s WTA Elite Trophy semifinalist Daria Kasatkina doing well to even win four games in one set against her.
Last year’s Australian Open semifinalist Azarenka battled through in a tight match against Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinal. It is likely she will stick to her playing style of trying to be aggressive, and that is the right approach. However, at this stage of her career, Sabalenka at her best carries out that aggression more effectively than Azarenka. The 34-year-old is also slightly slower than she used to be. Azarenka is still a great player, but toppling Sabalenka in Brisbane is likely to be too great a challenge.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Main Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
