Sabalenka has loved serene progress in Melbourne to this point and has additionally seen a few of her title rivals exit early.
World primary Swiatek’s first two matches have stored her on court docket for greater than 5 hours, with the Pole having to come back again from the brink in opposition to Danielle Collins within the second spherical.
Third seed Elena Rybakina, who Sabalenka beat in final 12 months’s last, was overwhelmed in a record-breaking tie-break within the second spherical, whereas fifth seed Jessica Pegula additionally misplaced on Thursday.
Sabalenka, in contrast, has spent slightly below three hours on court docket and has but to be really examined.
She reached the semi-finals of all 4 majors final 12 months however says she is in even higher kind this 12 months, saying in her on-court interview that “Aryna 2024” would beat the Sabalenka of final season.
“I feel at the moment’s efficiency was perfection,” she stated. “There may be all the time one thing to enhance, you recognize.
“You simply cannot be pleased with the extent you might be at proper now so that you all the time should hold shifting, hold bettering.”
She might face a harder check in opposition to Anisimova, who’s taking part in her first main since taking a seven-month break for her psychological well being, and beat former world quantity two Paula Badosa 7-5 6-4.
Sabalenka might doubtlessly meet Gauff, who beat her within the New York last final 12 months, within the semi-finals.
Gauff has additionally but to drop a set at this 12 months’s event and was equally dominant in opposition to American compatriot Parks on Friday.
She is going to face Poland’s Magdalena Frech, who beat Russian qualifier Anastasia Zakharova in three units, whereas Sabalenka will play Amanda Anisimova.
