MELBOURNE — Aryna Sabalenka overcame heat set to hit 45C and one of the most exciting talents in tennis to power into the semi-finals of the Australian Open, where Carlos Alcaraz bids to join her later Tuesday.
World number one Sabalenka tamed 18-year-old American Iva Jovic 6-3, 6-0 and faces either third seed Coco Gauff or 12th seed Elina Svitolina for a place in the final.
Sabalenka, the top seed from Belarus, is aiming to win a third Melbourne crown in four years and looks in ominous form, yet to drop a set.
“These teenagers have been testing me in the last couple of rounds,” said Sabalenka, 27, who is on a 10-match win streak after victory in Brisbane this month.
“It was a tough match. Don’t look at the score, it wasn’t easy at all.
“She played incredible tennis. Pushed me to one step better level. And I’m super happy with the win.”
The match was played in hot sun on Rod Laver Arena, as temperatures reached 38C.
Just after the match, organisers closed the roof, meaning the other three quarter-finals will take place in far more comfortable temperatures.
The decision came after the tournament hit its maximum “heat stress” rating of five for the second time in four days.
The measure is designed to protect players, fans and officials.
Play on outdoor courts, which were to host junior boys’ and girls’ matches, were put on hold.
Temperatures reached 40C on Saturday, with matches on outside courts paused for about five hours.
Defeat brought an end to a breakthrough tournament for Jovic, the youngest player in the women’s top 100 and seeded 29.
She stunned seventh seed and two-time Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini and blitzed past experienced Yulia Putintseva for the loss of just one game to announce herself to the world.
But Sabalenka was a bridge too far.
Alcaraz in home test
Alcaraz faces having to beat not just Alex de Minaur but also a patriotic home crowd to make his first Australian Open semi-final.
Whoever comes out on top will meet German third seed Alexander Zverev, who lost the final last year to Jannik Sinner, or American next-gen star Learner Tien.
The 22-year-old Spaniard Alcaraz has won six Grand Slams, but is yet to go past the last eight in Melbourne.
De Minaur has failed to make it past the quarter-finals at any Slam and is hoping the home fans can help him pull off an upset in the last match of the day on centre court.
“For me, it just comes down to I’m going to have to bring some of my best tennis,” said the Australian, who has lost all five previous encounters with Alcaraz.
“Once I rock up on Tuesday and I walk on court, you just deal with whatever’s in front of you,” he added of the prospect of a closed roof. AFP
CHICAGO — Luka Doncic had 46 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers cooled off the Chicago Bulls with a 129-118 victory on Monday (Tuesday in Manila).
LeBron James scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half as Los Angeles improved to 3-1 on an eight-game trip. Rui Hachimura added 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting.
The Lakers were swept by Chicago in their two-game series last season, including a wild 119-117 loss at the United Center on Josh Giddey’s half-court shot at the buzzer.
Coby White scored 23 points for Chicago on Monday night, and Ayo Dosunmu had 20. The Bulls had won four in a row and five of six overall.
Chicago went 18 for 49 from 3-point range. It has made at least 17 3s in its last five games.
Los Angeles led by as many as 20 points, but Chicago closed to 81-80 on Nikola Vucevic’s two foul shots with 6:42 left in the third quarter.
But Marcus Smart responded with a three-point play for the Lakers. Doncic then made two free throws and Hachimura connected from deep to make it 89-80 with 4:38 left.
Doncic made a 3 and another foul shot to lift Los Angeles to a 104-89 lead going into the fourth. Doncic scored 20 points in the third on 6-for-9 shooting.
The Lakers shot 56% (46 for 82) from the field, including a 16-for-33 performance from 3-point range.
The Bulls had six players score in double figures. Vucevic had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Giddey finished with 19 points.
Hornets 130, 76ers 93
In Charlotte, Brandon Miller scored 30 points, and the Charlotte Hornets took a 50-point lead for the second time this month on the way to rolling past the Philadelphia 76ers.
All five Hornets starters finished in double figures. Kon Knueppel and Moussa Diabate scored 12, LaMelo Ball added 11 and Miles Bridges finished with 10 for Charlotte, which has won three straight games for the first time this season.
It was 28-22 after one quarter — and then Charlotte outscored Philadelphia 81-37 over the next two quarters, taking a 109-59 lead into the fourth.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 17 for Philadelphia. Jared McCain added 16 and Quentin Grimes had 14 for the 76ers, while Tyrese Maxey was held to a season-low six points on 3-for-12 shooting in 25 minutes. Maxey’s scoring average dropped a full half-point to 29.4 per game.
Charlotte became the first team since Phoenix in February 2009 to lead by 50 or more points in two separate games within the same calendar month. The Hornets led Utah by 57 on their way to a 150-95 win on Jan. 10.
The Hornets had one other lead of 50 or more points in the NBA’s play-by-play era, which goes back to 1996. It’s now happened twice more in a span of just over two weeks.