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Fashion, upsets and an operatic Aryna Sabalenka: Let’s hail women’s tennis
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Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka shows her emotions during her semi-final match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Tennis, Aryna Sabalenka style, is an opera of glittering shoes and multi-syllable grunts. Just close your eyes and listen to her athletic music. The percussive strokes. The audible effort. The Melbourne crowd gasping like a boxer who’s had the wind knocked out of him. As night falls in Melbourne so does her rival Elina Svitolina. Sabalenka wins their semi-final 6-2, 6-3
On court Sabalenka yells, swishes her skilful racket, shrugs, shakes her head. Oh, the drama. “Love your outfit,” coos a fan. When she’s finished the court has dents in it – 172 winners all tournament – and she’s in her fourth successive Australian Open final. Sport is fake war but a real one quietly intrudes. After it’s done, Ukrainian and Belarusian very politely don’t shake hands.
