Aryna Sabalenka breezes past Jasmine Paolini to book Miami Open final spot

MIAMI – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was super happy with “one of the best matches in the season so far”, as she blasted her way into the final of the Miami Open with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.

The Belarusian needed just 71 minutes on March 27 to wrap up her win against the sixth seed and she will now face American Jessica Pegula, who beat Filipino wildcard Alexandra Eala 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3, in the title-decider on March 29.

The win earns Sabalenka, who was beaten in the Indian Wells final earlier in March by Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, a place in the Miami final for the first time in her career.

“I’m super happy with the level I played today. Of course super happy to be in my first Miami Open final,” she said.

The 26-year-old was never behind against Paolini, and the match was only tied twice – at 1-1 in each set. She served six aces and broke the Italian’s serve four times.

“I definitely would say that this was one of the best matches in the season so far. I don’t know. I was just so focused on myself, on the things I had to do today,” Sabalenka added.

“It felt like everything was just, like, going smoothly my way.”

Sabalenka will be keen to banish the memory of defeat in the Indian Wells final and in the Australian Open final where she lost to Madison Keys.

“The lessons (of those defeats) was I believe to focus on myself, not on what’s going on the other side,” she said.

“I think in those finals I was more focusing on my opponents than on myself. I think I just have to bring the same attitude, the same mindset that I had today, I think I have to bring it in the finals.

“I really feel this time I’m going to do better than I did in the last two finals.”

She is only the sixth woman to reach the finals of both stops on the American “Sunshine Swing” in the same season.

In the men’s competition, Novak Djokovic turned on the style to take his place in the last four with an impressive 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win over American Sebastian Korda, becoming the oldest man to reach a Masters 1000 semi-final.

The 37-year-old Serb made a strong start against Korda, breaking early to get a first-set advantage that he never let slip but Korda showed great resilience in the second set, taking the contest to a tie-break.

But Djokovic, seeking his seventh Miami title but first since 2016, came up strong, sealing the win with a powerful ace.

“One word, serve. I was serving very well, probably the best serving performance, not just here, but in a long time,” he said. “Eleven aces, when I needed to find the first serve. It makes life easier on the court when you are feeling your serve. I needed it in the second set when I think Korda was feeling his ground strokes much better.”

Djokovic next faced Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov on March 28, with the match starting after press time.

A victory at Miami would be a landmark 100th singles title for the 24-time Grand Slam champion and he said he is glad to be refinding a top level regardless of the result.

“I am obviously playing the best tennis I have played in quite some time. It’s great when I experience tournaments like this and performances like this. It motivates me and encourages me to keep going for more,” he said.

In the other semi-final, Czech teenager Jakub Mensik will take on American third seed Taylor Fritz. AFP, REUTERS