Semifinals at the Adelaide International 1 will feature a clash of Iga Swiatek and Ashleigh Barty, the last two players to lift the champion’s trophy in the Southern Australian capital, and an encounter between Elena Rybakina and Misaki Doi.
Seventh seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan recovered from a set down to beat American Shelby Rogers 3-6 6-3 6-2 and reach the semifinals on her tournament debut. Ranked at a career-high No.14, Rybakina hit 13 aces in the first two rounds and scored nine more in the quarterfinals.
Last year in Adelaide, Rogers was also stopped in the quarterfinals.
Rybakina’s semifinal opponent will be Japan’s world No.105 Misaki Doi, who saved two match points in the third set to outlast Slovenia’s world No.100 Kaja Juvan, 6-3 4-6 7-6(5).
The 30-year-old Doi leads Rybakina 1-0 in their head-to-head record. Moreover, Rybakina lost twice to players outside Top 100 last season, against No.430 Carle (Billie Jean King Cup) and No.118 McNally (Charleston).
Top-ranked Ashleigh Barty impressed home crowd with an emphatic 6-3 6-4 victory over 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
Barty faced no break points, lost just one point on her first serve and fired a career-best 17 aces in the encounter that lasted 68 minutes.
The 25-year-old Barty was also victorious in doubles on Friday. Teamed up with Storm Sanders, she defeated Sania Mirza and Nadiia Kichenok to reach the final.
Barty, who lifted the title during event’s inaugural edition in 2020, is set to face defending champion Iga Swiatek in singles semifinals. As the Australian pointed out, they practice quite a bit together, and we’ve actually shown you photos from their joint practice session on New Year’s Day.
The fifth-seeded Swiatek advanced to the semifinals with a 6-3 2-6 6-1 win over Victoria Azarenka, leveling their head-to-head record to 1-1. Azarenka, the first player to take a set from Swiatek during the Pole’s 8-0 stretch in Adelaide, later withdrew from her doubles semifinal due to a right leg injury, so third seeds Darija Jurak Schreiber and Andreja Klepac moved into the final with a walkover.
The first semifinal on Saturday’s schedule starts at 12 a.m, Elena Rybakina vs. Misaki Doi. Ashleigh Barty vs. Iga Swiatek take the court next. (photos: Jimmie48)
