Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka LIVE: Australian Open 2024 scores and results from semi-finals

Australian Open LIVE

There was a sense of history repeating itself as Coco Gauff halted Aryna Sabalenka’s relentless attacking play and broke level in their Australian Open semi-final. After surviving the early onslaught from Sabalenka’s forehand wing, Gauff turned the reigning champion against herself: stretching her defences wide to crack a glimpse at Sabalenka’s vulnerabilities. But as Gauff served for the first set, Sabalenka’s response highlighted the immense improvements she has made in the mental aspects of her game in the past 12 months: she overcame Gauff as well as her demons in striking back to win 7-6 6-4 and return to the Australian Open final.

In the end, it was Sabalenka’s unrelenting power that triumphed over Gauff’s resilience in a heavyweight semi-final clash between two grand slam champions that lived up to its billing. But there were moments at the end of the first set that suggested the Gauff’s gameplan that proved so effective in coming from a set down to beat Sabalenka in September’s US Open final was going to work again. Sabalenka’s errors were beginning to mount as Gauff’s defensive wall stood strong on the baseline but the Belarusian regained her composure, steadied her game and attacked Gauff with the same clear and clinical intent that has fuelled her return to the Melbourne final.

Jamie Braidwood25 January 2024 12:47

When is the Australian Open women’s final?

Sabalenka continued her impressive Australian Open as she passed her toughest test of the tournament so far against Coco Gauff in the semi-finals, gaining revenge for September’s US Open final defeat.

The World No 2, who defeated Elena Rybakina to win her first grand slam title last season, is yet to drop a set this tournament and will be the huge favourite as she takes on a first-time grand slam finalist in Zheng, the 12th seed.

Zheng defeated Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska 6-4 6-4 in the semi-finals and the Chinese player is looking to replicate childhood idol and 2014 Australian Open champion Li Na with victory in Melbourne.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Jamie Braidwood25 January 2024 13:16

Aryna Sabalenka takes revenge against Coco Gauff to reach Australian Open final

Aryna Sabalenka took her revenge against Coco Gauff to make it back-to-back Australian Open finals.

Gauff denied Sabalenka a second grand slam title of the year with victory in the US Open final last summer but her winning run at the majors came to an end with a 7-6 (2) 6-4 defeat under the roof on Rod Laver Arena.

Sabalenka will now be a big favourite to win a second-straight title at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

Watch every moment of the Australian Open live and exclusive on discovery+ and Eurosport

Jamie Braidwood25 January 2024 12:52

Australian Open LIVE

Novak Djokovic faces the toughest test of his Australian Open title defence so far as the 10-time champion takes on fourth seed Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

Djokovic has never lost an Australian Open semi-final, winning every tournament in which he has reached the final four, but Sinner comes into the clash in red-hot form.

The Italian has not dropped a set so far and has won two of his previous three meetings against Djokovic, including in sensational fashion in the Davis Cup semi-finals in September.

Djokovic thrashed Sinner in straight sets in the Wimbledon semi-finals last season but the 22-year-old has made significant improvements to his game and Melbourne Park could be set for a classic.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Jamie Braidwood25 January 2024 14:21

Australian Open LIVE

Perhaps the most immediate sign of trouble with the second season of Netflix’s Break Point, the tennis spin-off of the streaming giant’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive, is the number of episodes. While its debut season last year contained 10, split across two parts, its follow-up features just six, forcing the show to squeeze a number of stories from a compelling year into an even shorter running time: Coco Gauff’s memorable victory at the US Open, where the American teenager brilliantly stepped into the void left by Serena Williams, is afforded just 20 minutes; Carlos Alcaraz’s remarkable Wimbledon triumph is lucky to receive about half that.

What Break Point did find room for, however, was a whole 46-minute episode dedicated to Alexander Zverev – a player who made an impressive return to the court in 2023 following a horrific ankle injury, but also one who is facing allegations of physical abuse from a former girlfriend. Have a guess: what do the documentary cameras focus on? Here’s a clue: it’s not the allegations of domestic abuse. In fact, those are not mentioned at all. And if the producers of Break Point weren’t able to cover the allegations for legal reasons, perhaps that should have been enough of a hint to find another subject to focus on.

Alexander Zverev’s comeback from injury is featured in the second season of the tennis documentary, despite the world No 7 facing fresh allegations of physical abuse from a former girlfriend and an ongoing court case in Germany

Jamie Braidwood25 January 2024 17:34

Australian Open LIVE

Carlos Alcaraz insisted he was happy with his Australian Open efforts despite falling to a quarter-final loss against Alexander Zverev.

Alcaraz was heavily fancied to make it an all top-four semi-final line-up but he looked very tight at the start and Zverev took full advantage, barely missing a first serve and striking his groundstrokes with power and precision.

This was Alcaraz’s best run in Melbourne, and he said: “It has been a good tournament for me, making quarter-finals, playing good tennis.

“I’m sad with my level today, because I have been playing good tennis, the round before this one with a lot of confidence. Serving pretty well.

“But in general I leave the tournament happy. Forgetting about today’s level. Obviously quarter-final of a grand slam is good. It’s not what I’m looking for, but it’s not bad.

“It’s a shame that I started the match like the way that I did and ending the way that I did. But it’s tennis.”

Jamie Braidwood25 January 2024 16:48

Australian Open LIVE

The true testament of character came after the sudden onslaught. At 1am during another late-night tussle on the Rod Laver Arena, Alexander Zverev should have been back in the locker room, safely into the semi-finals. The most glaring of opportunities – 5-2 up, a break of serve up, two points from victory twice – came and went in the third set against Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.

But despite blood blisters and movement issues, Zverev regrouped and recomposed to seal a four-set win, 6-1 6-3 6-7(2) 6-4, and the best grand slam victory of his career. Tantalisingly, it sets up a final-four showdown with nemesis Daniil Medvedev on Friday. The Netflix producers, who centred an entire episode of the new Break Point series on the pair’s rivalry, will be salivating at the matchup.

Jamie Braidwood25 January 2024 16:01

Australian Open LIVE

Australian Open order of play – Thursday 25 January

(all times UK / GMT)

Rod Laver Arena

From 3:30am

Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner

From 8:30am

Daniil Medvedev vs Alexander Zverev

Jamie Braidwood25 January 2024 15:01

Jannik Sinner faces moment of truth against Novak Djokovic in Australian Open semi-finals

In November, Jannik Sinner faced three match points against Novak Djokovic with Italy’s Davis Cup hopes on the line. Defeat would have spelled the end in the semi-finals, and with Djokovic looming over the baseline, primed for his next return, Sinner stared at a near-impossible task. Instead, the 22-year-old held firm. He saved all three match points behind brave serving and a rock-solid backhand, denying Djokovic. Sinner went on to claim his second victory against the world No 1 in as many weeks, following his win in the group stages of the ATP Finals.

It may have just been one game and one hold from 0-40 down, but that five-minute spell in Malaga at the end of last season may prove transformative in the young career of Sinner. The Italian not only survived but steered his nation past Serbia and into the Davis Cup final, where he again won the decisive match against Australia to lift the trophy. On Friday, in the Australian Open semi-finals, the Italian will face Djokovic for the fourth time in three months as he aims to reach his first grand slam final. Sinner has won two of their last three matches and, this time, the odds are considerably shorter than when Djokovic held those match points.

Jamie Braidwood25 January 2024 13:35

Australian Open LIVE

Coco Gauff is taking the “positives” from her defeat to Aryna Sabalenka, as the 19-year-old’s winning run at the grand slams comes to an end at 12 matches.

“She served better, she made less errors, but also, I feel like I played a little bit more aggressive this time. So, you know, US Open I felt like wasn’t, like, a great match, like, for me. Yes, I won. I think I played better tonight.

“I wish I could have made more first serves. I think that was the difference. She had a higher first-serve percentage, and it’s tough to also go for the second when you double-faulted a couple times.

“But I don’t think that wasn’t the fault, either. Because I put myself in the position, I cleaned up the first set, put myself in the position to serve out the set. At the end of the day, it came down to a couple of points. Same in the second. Maybe if I get that hold at 4-All, it’s a different match.

“Yeah, and a lot of positives to take. I felt like, like, today I didn’t feel like I played bad. I just felt there were certain points that I just didn’t win. Which I prefer this match over the last match that I played. So it’s tough with the result, but I’m trying to look at the positives.”

Jamie Braidwood25 January 2024 12:59