Sabalenka overpowers Keys in Brisbane to gear up for Australian Open

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka showcased her power and composure with a straight-sets victory over Madison Keys, reversing last year’s Australian Open final result and sending a strong message ahead of the season’s first Grand Slam.

In a dominant quarterfinal at the Brisbane International on Friday, Sabalenka defeated Keys 6-3, 6-3 in 90 minutes to reach the semifinals of the important Australian Open warm-up event. The win comes nearly a year after Keys had beaten her at Melbourne Park.

Sabalenka broke Keys’ serve in five consecutive service games and applied relentless pressure from the baseline. The Belarusian looked sharp and in control throughout a warm afternoon on Pat Rafter Arena.

“I’m super happy to get through this difficult match,” Sabalenka said. “I know I lost in Australia against her, and that gives me motivation. But every match is new, against a new opponent. That’s my approach now.”

The top seed, who is also defending Brisbane champion, will face 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova in the semifinals . Muchova reached the last four with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 win over third-seeded Elena Rybakina, ending the Kazakh player’s 13-match winning streak.

Muchova holds the head-to-head edge against both Sabalenka (3-1) and Rybakina. But Sabalenka emphasized that past records mean little to her.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m leading or losing the head-to-head,” she said. “I just focus on controlling my emotions.”

That focus was clear in her match against Keys. Both players had early break chances, but Sabalenka broke in the seventh game to lead 4-3 and then won six of the next seven games. Keys briefly broke serve at the start of the second set, but the American struggled on her second serve, winning just a third of those points and committing eight double faults.

Keys saved two match points in the second set’s eighth game, but Sabalenka served out at love to close the match.

This continues a recent trend in Sabalenka’s favor. Since losing to Keys at the Australian Open last year, she has beaten the American twice in straight sets, including a 6-0, 6-1 win at Indian Wells. Over the past season , Sabalenka reached the French Open final, won the US Open, and finished runner-up at the WTA Finals.

Earlier in the tournament, she admitted the tennis schedule is “insane” and may skip some events to avoid injury or burnout.

“For now, I’m just trying to get matches, get wins, and get the rhythm going again,” she said.

With the Australian Open starting January 18 in Melbourne , Sabalenka’s commanding performance in Brisbane suggests she is peaking at the right time.