Aryna Sabalenka kept a historic Australian Open hat-trick on track Tuesday as she battled past Russian 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals.
Double-defending champion Sabalenka blew away Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in a ruthless display on the hottest day of the Melbourne tournament so far.
The world number one remained on track to win her third consecutive Melbourne Park title but only after a rollercoaster scrap that lasted more than two hours on Rod Laver Arena.
Thunder and lightning saw players and fans rushing for cover, with the heavy rain a headache for organisers who face a match backlog.
The first Grand Slam of the year gets under way at Melbourne Park as a 15-day event for the second year running, aimed at cutting down on late-night finishes.
The 26-year-old jumped above Poland's French Open champion Iga Swiatek thanks to year-end adjustments in the standings.
Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday that she wants to cap off a stellar year by returning to the top of the world rankings.
With Roger Federer retired and Rafael Nadal struggling to get back on court due to injuries, Novak Djokovic was the last man of that golden generation standing at Flushing Meadows, but the Serb crashed out in the third round to Australian Alexei Popyrin.
"I'm speechless right now. So many times I thought I was so close to get the US Open title. It has always been a dream of mine and finally I got this beautiful trophy," said Sabalenka.
Sabalenka's partner, Belarusian former NHL ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, 42, died late Monday after jumping from the balcony of a room in an upmarket resort in Miami, police said.
Konstantin Koltsov, the Belarusian former pro ice hockey player and boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, has died at the age of 42, Russian club Salavat Yulaev said in a statement on Tuesday.
An authoritative Aryna Sabalenka blew China's Zheng Qinwen off court on Saturday to successfully defend her Australian Open title -- the first woman to do so in more than a decade.
The Belarusian world number two has yet to drop a set in Melbourne this year
Aryna Sabalenka has blown all-comers off court on her march to the final of the Australian Open and China's Zheng Qinwen will need to produce something extraordinary to deprive her of back-to-back titles on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday.
Formidable world number two Aryna Sabalenka blasted past Coco Gauff into the Australian Open final on Thursday to keep her title defence on track.
Fourth seed Gauff, attempting to become the first woman to back up a US Open title with a Grand Slam win in Australia since Naomi Osaka in 2018-19, has been almost as impressive.
Sabalenka ruthlessly handed 28th seed Tsurenko the dreaded "double bagel" in 52 minutes.
Elena Rybakina will head to the Australian Open full of confidence after demolishing world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane International final on Sunday.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka sailed into the second round of the China Open with an imperious 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Sofia Kenin on Sunday.
