The world number one continued his quest for a third Australian Open title with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over American teenage sensation Jovic.
Aryna Sabalenka remained on track for her third title at Melbourne Park with a 6-3, 6-0 defeat of 18-year-old American Iva Jovic in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The world number one, the 2023 and 2024 champion and last year’s runner-up, quickly formed a teenage tennis sensation at a sweltering Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
Sabalenka will face either Coco Gauff or Elina Svitolina for a spot in Saturday’s title match.
“These teenagers have been testing me the last few rounds,” said Sabalenka, who defeated 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko in the previous round.
“Don’t look at the score. It wasn’t easy. She played great tennis and pushed me to another level. It was a tough battle.”
Sabalenka got off to a strong start, taking a 3-0 lead in the opening round, and Jovic forced the Belarusian to hold serve in the fourth game, giving him a foothold in the set.
Playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, the teenager used her speed on court to trouble her more experienced opponent, but Sabalenka ultimately shut out the first set in less than an hour.
The 27-year-old continued to dominate in the second set, hitting a cross-court winner over Jovic in the first game to break serve.
This put the four-time Grand Slam champion firmly in command, as she converted two more break points and made an eerie run to the last four.
Sabalenka said she won’t stop until she bags the trophy in Melbourne.
“I think for any player, when you go into a tournament, it’s either a trophy or nothing,” she said. “The mentality is the same, obviously the desire to win is always in the back of our minds.”
“But I’m trying to shift my focus to the right things and take it one step at a time and try to do my best in each match, each point, each game, each set.”
Sabalenka’s fight took place in 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) heat at the roofless Rod Laver Arena, but the world No. 1 had nothing to worry about.
On a 10-game winning streak following her win at the leader Brisbane International, she described her second set performance as “amazing”.
“I knew I had to step in and show my level and class,” she said.
“I think that helped me focus on my shots and trust my game.”
The loss ended a landmark tournament for Jovic, the youngest player in the women’s top 100 and seeded 29th.
She made her name known to the world by dominating Jasmine Paolini, a No. 7 seed and two-time Grand Slam finalist, and defeating the experienced Yulia Putintseva with just one loss.
But Sabalenka was a bridge too far.
“I think Arena played very well. She could have done things differently, but that’s tennis,” she said after the loss.
“I think what she’s done for herself in her career is amazing.
“It’s very inspiring,” the four-time Grand Slam champion added.
“I think she was able to take advantage of any negativity and I know her story very well.
“It’s amazing how all the negative things that happened to her on the court and in her personal life she turned into motivation and a drive to get better.
“I hope I have more opportunities to play against her. She was very sweet even at the end of the match.”
