Only once did the masks slip. At the start of the second set Paula Badosa took a slapstick tumble, the racket flew out of her hand and she and best friend Aryna Sabalenka could not stop grinning. For the rest of this Australian Open semi-final, these two flew at each other with tooth and claw and – as one might expect from the woman with the tiger tattoo – Sabalenka’s teeth and claws proved sharper.
The world No 1 won 6-4, 6-2 and is one match away from a third Australian Open title in a row. She will face either Iga Swiatek or Madison Keys on Saturday and will try to become the first ‘three-peat’ champion since Martina Hingis from 1997-1999.
The 26-year-old Belarusian absolutely belongs in such august company. She trailed 2-0, 40-0 here but was utterly unstoppable thereafter and will take some stopping in the final.
‘After a couple of battles against each other we spoke to each other and decided to put it aside,’ said Sabalenka of her rivalry with Badosa, which she now leads 6-2.
‘I’m sure she’ll hate me for the next hour, day or two but then we’re back to being friends. Paula if you’re watching we can go shopping and I’ll pay for whatever s*** you want.
‘It was a super tough match against a friend, I’m super happy to see her back at her top level.’
As Sabalenka alluded to, Badosa’s presence in the semi-final was a triumph in itself. In May 2023 she suffered a stress fracture in her back which brought her to the brink of retirement, before an overhaul of her training methods and diet got the pain under control and ended the need for numbing cortisone injections.
In the quarter-final against Coco Gauff she was able to absorb pressure and wait for her opponent’s forehand to crack but that was never going to happen against Sabalenka.
The reigning champion has become such a complete player. The biomechanical reconstruction of her serve in 2022 was the eureka moment but she has continued to make improvements.
She defends better, with an emergency forehand slice a recent addition to her toolkit. During last season she gradually developed a serviceable drop shot, meaning opponents can no longer hang back in park-the-bus mode.
In winning the US Open last year she also showed off her improved net game and this fortnight she has played with more spin and shape on her forehand, making her more consistent and less predictable.
The two key games of the match came when Sabalenka reeled Badosa in from 40-0 in the third game. In an epic game at 2-2, the Sabalenka drop shot was unfurled for the first time in the match to help her break and take the lead for the first time in the match.
The roof was closed due to some spots of rain on a grey day in Melbourne. Those faster conditions figured to favour Sabalenka and she raced for the finish line.
Badosa was staying in touch but she just could not manage to get on the front foot in enough of the rallies.
In the third game of the second set Badosa took her tumble and they exchanged that smile. Did it snap Badosa’s concentration? One would not expect it of such a hardened competitor but the fact is that from 30-30 she served two double faults to concede a break.
There was another double fault as Badosa fell 4-1 down as a competitive match became a rout.
Sabalenka thumped a 32nd winner past Badosa to seal the match and the rivals shared a warm embrace at the net.