Reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka is into the women's singles final once again after crushing Coco Gauff at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday night.
The world no.2 was simply too powerful for Gauff in the semi-final, defeating her in straight sets 7-6(2) 6-4, across one hour, 42 minutes.
Sabalenka exacted some revenge on Gauff with the win after losing to the American in last year's US Open final.
The second seed will now play the winner of 12th seed Qinwen Zheng and qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the final.
Despite Sabalenka clearly being the best player on the night, there were five breaks of serve in a topsy-turvy first set, with Gauff also serving six double faults.
Sabalenka served for the set at 5-3 but a crowd distraction seemed to put her off temporarily, with Gauff breaking back, holding and then forcing another break to serve for the first set herself at 6-5.
But Sabalenka struck back as Gauff attempted to serve it out, forcing a tiebreaker, before the world no.2 put the foot down to accelerate away with the first set.
The second set was more regulation with Sabalenka breaking in the ninth game to go 5-4 up before successfully serving out the match the next game.
No matter who Sabalenka is playing in Saturday's final, the world no.2 will go in as overwhelming favourite against either Zheng or Yastremska.
The Sporting News followed the Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka match live, providing score updates, commentary, and highlights as it happened.
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Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka final score
| Set 1 | Set 2 | |
| [4] Coco Gauff (USA) | 6(2) | 4 |
| [2] Aryna Sabalenka | 7(7) | 6 |
*Denotes server
Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka video highlights
Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka live updates, highlights and commentary
*Denotes server
GAME, SET, MATCH SABALENKA! Gauff 6-7(2) 4-6 Sabalenka*
Gauff mis-hits the return and Sabalenka delivers a winner. 15-0. Double fault for Sabalenka. Nerves kicking in? 15-15. Maybe not. She hits an ace out wide. 30-15. However, she hits the forehand long with Gauff scrambling. 30-30. Gauff nets the serve. 40-30. Match point for Sabalenka. Wow, what a shot by Gauff down the line. Saves match point. Deuce. Sabalenka hits an ace down the T. Another match point. Gauff nets the serve and that's it. A second consecutive Australian Open final for reigning champion Sabalenka.
Gauff* 6-7(2) 4-5 Sabalenka
Gauff gets the opening point as Sabalenka blazes wide off the serve. 15-0. Gauff's turn to hit wide. 15-15. Sabalenka monsters the Gauff second serve for a clean winner. She is making a move. 15-30. Second serve ace for Gauff. 30-30. Sabalenka cops a net cord shot from Gauff but adjusts to hit a winner. 30-40. Break point. Which Gauff saves by steering a backhand winner down the line. Deuce. Gauff nets after Sabalenka puts power into her return. Break point. Adv Sabalenka. Gauff hits long and that's the break. The reigning champion will serve to be in a second consecutive final.
Gauff 6-7(2) 4-4 Sabalenka*
Sabalenka makes some great, deep shots but Gauff hangs in there until the world no.2 makes the error. 0-15. Sabalenka then nets. 0-30. Huge chance for Gauff here. Sabalenka makes the winner, which clips the net cord. That was close. Was nearly a double fault too. 15-30. Great rally which the world no.2 wins with a forehand winner. 30-30. Sabalenka crushes another winner. 40-30. Gauff is forced to hit long. Great recovery from Sabalenka. She holds from 0-30.
Gauff* 6-7(2) 4-3 Sabalenka
The fourth seed hits long to start the game. 0-15. Sabalenka smashes a clean forehand winner off the serve. 0-30. Gauff recovers with an excellently-steered shot that Sabalenka can only slice long. 15-30. Gauff makes the smash after Sabalenka frames the forehand. 30-30. Gauff nets after Sabalenka's excellent, deep return. 30-40. Break point. Sabalenka mishits the return long. Deuce. Gauff serves an ace down the T. Adv Gauff. Sabalenka meekly nets and it's an important hold for Gauff.
Gauff 6-7(2) 3-3 Sabalenka*
Sabalenka wrong foots Gauff with a powerful backhand. 15-0. Gauff floats the return long. 30-0. the reigning champion nets on her backhand side. 30-15. Sabalenka makes the smash after moving Gauff around the court. 40-15. Gauff drills the return of serve long. Game Sabalenka.
Gauff* 6-7(2) 3-2 Sabalenka
Gauff plays a nice attempted passing shot which Sabalenka can't volley over the net. 15-0. Gauff gets the second point on her serve too. 30-0. She serves an ace. 40-0. Sabalenka belts a return of serve into the net. Hold for Gauff.
Gauff 6-7(2) 2-2 Sabalenka*
The American nets a regulation backhand. 15-0. Gauff hits wide on the return of serve. 30-0. Sabalenka moves Gauff around before the fourth seed hits long. 40-0. Sabalenka makes the volley and it's another comfortable hold of service.
Gauff* 6-7(2) 2-1 Sabalenka
Sabalenka narrowly misses the backhand winner down the line. 15-0. Gauff hits her own winner, crosscourt. 30-0. Sabalenka nets. 40-0. Could be an easy service game for Gauff here. Sabalenka goes for the winner off the second serve but hits long. Game Gauff.
Gauff 6-7(2) 1-1 Sabalenka*
The world no.2 gets the first point on her serve. 15-30. She then clubs a winner on the second. 30-0. Serve and volley winner on the next. 40-0. Gauff hooks her forehand return wide. Easy hold for Sabalenka.
Gauff* 6-7(2) 1-0 Sabalenka
Sabalenka continues on from the tiebreak, smashing a backhand winner. 0-15. Gauff responds with an ace. 15-15. Sabalenka belts the second serve return into the net. 30-15. Gauff just hits the forehand lob long. 30-30. Gauff hits long and it's break point Sabalenka. But the world no.2 can't make the volley again. She nets. Deuce. Sabalenka makes the passing shot and it's break point again. Gauff saves again with an ace. Sabalenka lamely bats her return of serve into the net. Adv Gauff. Double fault from Gauff. Deuce. Gauff makes the smash and she has game point once again. Another double fault. These are really hurting her. Amazing drop volley from Gauff. Adv again for her. Sabalenka nets going for the backhand winner down the line and Gauff holds.
FIRST SET SABALENKA! Gauff 6-7(2) Sabalenka
An awesome display of power hitting gets Sabalenka the first set in a comfortable tiebreak. She was definitely the better player in the set but nearly threw it away after missing out on serving for the set. She also withstood Gauff serving for the set.
Tiebreak - Gauff 1-5 Sabalenka*
Sabalenka is stepping up here when it matters. Crushing winners. Too strong for Gauff.
Tiebreak - Gauff 0-3 Sabalenka*
The world no.2 gets the first three points and is looking good for the first set.
Gauff* 6-6 Sabalenka
Gauff serving for the set. Sabalenka hits long. 15-0. She looks like she is mentally struggling at the moment. Gauff makes the volley at the net. 30-0. Gauff frames the ball off the baseline. 30-15. Gauff misses a regulation forehand, halfway up the net. 30-30. Sabalenka's power earns the point. When she is on, she is unstoppable. Break back point. 30-40. Gauff goes long and she fails to serve out the set. Tiebreak to decide it.
Gauff 6-5 Sabalenka*
Gauff nets the first point. 15-0. Gauff makes the smash which Sabalenka can't get back. 15-15. Gauff nets again and it's 30-15. Sabalenka's turn to net. 30-30. Gauff hits wide after Sabalenka's power pushes her back. 40-30. Sabalenka hooks the backhand wide and we are at deuce again. The world no.2 shows her power to get Gauff running before finishing her with a smash. Adv Sabalenka. However, the second seed hits long. Back to deuce. Excellent Gauff defence keeps her in the point before Sabalenka hits long. Break point Gauff. Sabalenka misses the easy put away and incredibly Gauff is up a break.
Gauff* 5-5 Sabalenka
Sabalenka responds by crushing a clean forehand winner. 0-15. Sabalenka nets. 15-15. Once again, the world no.2 hits the net, this time on the return of serve. 30-15. Sixth double fault for Gauff. 30-30. Gauff just misses the line with a backhand winner. Set point Sabalenka. However, the world no.2 bunts the return long. Deuce. Sabalenka nets the return of serve. Adv Gauff. Sabalenka hits a clean winner on the return of serve. Beautiful. Deuce. Sabalenka has Gauff on the run but nets the easy volley. Adv Gauff. The American goes the drop shot but it falls just short into the net. Deuce. An unreturned serve gives Gauff advantage. Sabalenka hits long and it's game for the American.
Gauff 4-5 Sabalenka*
Huge first point. Gauff wins an exchange at the net. Crowd goes wild. 0-15. Gauff is in a strong position next point but she nets. 15-15. Sabalenka hits the line with a backhand winner. Delightful. 30-15. After some crowd distraction, Sabalenka misses down the line. 30-30. Big point here. Double fault for Sabalenka. 30-40. Break back point here for Gauff. Sabalenka nets and it's back on serve.
Gauff* 3-5 Sabalenka
Sabalenka hits long after an extended rally. 15-0. Gauff comes in to hit a backhand winner. 30-0. Sabalenka crushes another winner. Her power has been too much for Gauff so far. 30-15. Sabalenka hits a winner off the serve after it clips the net cord and drops in. 30-30. Gauff takes advantage of the short Sabalenka return and drills a winner. 40-30. Another winner for Gauff. Game. Sabalenka to serve for the set.
Gauff 2-5 Sabalenka*
The American goes toe-to-toe with Sabalenka and comes off on top with a forehand winner. 0-15. However, she nets the next point. 15-15. Gauff's return floats just long. 30-15. Gauff can only net as Sabalenka presses her backwards with power. 40-15. An ace for Sabalenka consolidates the break.
Gauff* 2-4 Sabalenka
Sabalenka's power forces Gauff to hit long. 0-15. Sabalenka hits the backhand way over the baseline. 15-15. Another unforced error over the baseline from Sabalenka. Forehand side this time. 30-15. Gauff lets Sabalenka back in with a double fault. 30-30. Gauff gets game point after Sabalenka nets. A fifth double fault for Gauff and it's deuce. Sabalenka's power sees Gauff on the back foot and then net. Adv Sabalenka. Break point. Sabalenka gets it with an awesome display of power hitting.
Gauff 2-3 Sabalenka*
Gauff just misses the backhand after Sabalenka's running forehand. 15-0. Gauff goes long with the passing shot. 30-0. Gauff drills the second serve into the net. 40-0. Sabalenka crushes a forehand winner after Gauff's short return of serve. Hold to love.
Gauff* 2-2 Sabalenka
Sabalenka hits the return of serve long. 15-0. Double fault for Gauff. 15-15. Great serve by Gauff and Sabalenka can only hit it back long. 30-15. Brilliant lob by Gauff gets the point after Sabalenka was hurt by a net cord. 40-15. Sabalenka can only get a frame to Gauff's serve. Game.
Gauff 1-2 Sabalenka*
Gauff makes the return and Sabalenka nets going for the winner. 0-15. Signs of life from Gauff. She drills a forehand winner. 0-30. Sabalenka nets a relatively easy volley. Three break points from the world no.4. 0-40. Gauff hits the forehand long. 15-40. Gauff comes to net to make the winner past Sabalenka. Back on serve. Gauff looks settled now.
*Gauff 0-2 Sabalenka
First two points to Sabalenka. Gauff nets the second. Early nerves for the American. 0-30. Sabalenka makes a forehand winner on the line. 0-40. First seven points to the world no.2. Gauff shows excellent defence to get Sabalenka's return and the second seed nets. 15-40. Gauff nets and it's an early break to the reigning champion.
Gauff 0-1 Sabalenka*
Sabalenka starts with an ace out wide. 15-0. Another excellent serve is followed by a forehand winner. 30-0. Gauff tries to guide a backhand winner down the line but it's just wide. 40-0. Gauff returns the serve wide. Game. Easy first-up hold for Sabalenka.
Start
Aryna Sabalenka to serve first.
7:40pm: Both players have entered the court and are warming up at the moment. Not long now. Three minutes.
7:30pm: We are are only minutes away from the combatants entering the court.
7:05pm: About 25 minutes away from the scheduled start time. Crowd is starting to fill up here at Rod Laver Arena.
6:55pm: Gauff has only lost one set so far at Melbourne Park in 2024, against Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in the quarter-final.
6:45pm: Sabalenka is yet to drop a set at the Australian Open in 2024, only dropping 16 games across her five matches so far.
6:30pm: Gauff has a 4-2 head-to-head record advantage over Sabalenka, with their only meeting at a major when the American won the US Open last year. Sabalenka did win their only other meeting in 2023 though at Indian Wells in March.
6:15pm: Tonight's match is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm local time (AEDT) on Rod Laver Arena and will be the first semi-final before the Dayana Yamstremska-Qinwen Zhang semi-final is played after.
6:05pm: It's a rematch of the last women's Grand Slam final with Gauff defeating Sabalenka in three sets at US Open 2023. In that final, Sabalenka won the first set 2-6 before the American steamrolled her opponent 6-3 6-2 to clinch her first major title.
6:00pm: Welcome to tonight's live coverage of the blockbuster women's semi-final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka.
How to watch Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka: TV channel/ live stream
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Here's a look at the TV channels and live streams showing the match in the major territories around the world:
| Country | TV Channel | Live Stream |
| US | ESPN, Tennis Channel | Fubo , ESPN+ |
| Canada | RDS, TSN | TSN Direct |
| UK | Eurosport | discovery+ |
| Australia | Channel Nine | City Sports |