Adelaide International LIVE: Ashleigh Barty faces Iga Swiatek in semi-final, Rybakina, Doi face off –The semi-finals of the 2022 Adelaide International is here with World No.1 Ashleigh Barty set to face off against Iga Swiatek in what promises to be a fascinating encounter. The other semi-final will see the seventh seed Elena Rybakina take on Japan Misaki Doi. Follow Insidesport.in for all Adelaide International LIVE Updates.
Adelaide International LIVE: Ashleigh Barty faces Iga Swiatek in semi-final, Rybakina, Doi face off – Follow LIVE Updates
Ashleigh Barty vs Iga Swiatek LIVE
Ash Barty overwhelmed Sofia Kenin in the quarterfinals of the Adelaide International to move within two wins of a second title in the South Australian capital. Barty, the Adelaide champion in 2020, served her way to a 6-3 6-4 victory over the American, who had won two of her past three meetings with the world No.1. Barty will enjoy another opportunity to test herself, this time in the semifinals, against defending champion Iga Swiatek, who overcame Victoria Azarenka in three sets in their Friday night blockbuster.
In the first match of Friday’s evening session, 2020 Roland Garros champion Swiatek came up against two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka. And the level the two women produced in the opening set was fitting of a match-up between major champions. Swiatek stormed out to a 3-1 lead and although she lost serve in the very next game, she broke Azarenka again late in the first set to improve her record of sets won and lost in Adelaide to a perfect 15-0.
Azarenka rebounded impressively in the second, her returning especially effective as the young Pole conceded her first set in eight career matches at Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. But she faded physically in the third, while Swiatek was ruthless, powering to a 6-3 2-6 6-1 win in just under two hours.
Ashleigh Barty leads Iga Swiatek 1-0 in the head-to-head, having won their solitary encounter 7-5, 6-4 at Madrid last year.
Semifinals day is here! 👋
Day 6⃣ of the Adelaide International kick off this afternoon. Check out today’s line up below 👇
Women’s Main Draw Singles:
🇰🇿 [7] Rybakina v Doi 🇯🇵
🇦🇺 [1] Barty v [5] Swiatek 🇵🇱— Adelaide International (@AdelaideTennis) January 7, 2022
Adelaide International LIVE: Ashleigh Barty faces Iga Swiatek in semi-final, Rybakina, Doi face off – Follow LIVE Updates
A solid start to 2022 🚀
Elena Rybakina is through to the #AdelaideTennis final, meeting the winner of Barty/Swiatek. pic.twitter.com/XDoTmilXIK
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 8, 2022
Currently ranked at a career-high No.14, Rybakina pulled off a comeback victory over Shelby Rogers of the United States, taking exactly two hours to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Rybakina hit nine aces and broke the Rogers serve three times, while only ceding serve once.
Doi’s victory was even more dramatic. The 30-year-old, who peaked at No.30 in the rankings in 2016, saved two match points before beating Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5) in 2 hours and 48 minutes.
Juvan held her two match points on Doi’s serve at 5-6 in the third set, but the Japanese player got out of that jam to queue up the decisive tiebreak. In the breaker, Doi won four points in a row to garner triple match point at 6-3, and though Juvan erased the first two on Doi’s serve, left-handed Doi cranked a forehand winner on her third chance to seal victory and reach her first WTA 500 semifinal.
