Sabalenka beats Svitolina to reach fourth straight Australian Open final

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Not even a point penalty for hindrance slowed Aryna Sabalenka's run to a fourth consecutive Australian Open final.

The top-ranked Sabalenka overpowered Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 Thursday night to move within one victory of a third Australian Open title in four years.

The Belarusian will play the winner of the second semifinal between sixth-seeded Jessica Pegula and fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022 and was runner-up in Australia to Sabalenka in 2023.

All four players reached the semifinals without dropping a set — in Australia for the first time in 56 years — and Sabalenka and Svitolina were each on 10-match winning streaks to start the season after titles in warmup events.

Sabalenka kept both of her streaks alive. She hit 19 winners and broke Svitolina's serve twice in the first set. She finished with 29 winners to 12 for her Ukrainian rival.

As has become customary for Ukrainians against players from Russia and Belarus, there was no handshakes at the net. There was also no group photo before the match.

Sabalenka is the third woman in the Open era to reach four consecutive singles finals at the Australian Open after Evonne Goolagong and Martina Hingis.

“It’s an incredible achievement but the job’s not done yet,” an emotional Sabalenka said in her on-court TV interview. “I've been watching her game, (Svitolina) was playing incredible. I felt like I had to step in and put as much pressure as I could back on her. I’m glad the level was there. I think I played great tennis.”

The only hiccup was the hindrance to start the fourth game. Hindrance is called for a distraction that prevents a player from making a shot, and can include an opponent's loud noise.

Umpire Louise Azemar Engzell deemed Sabalenka made a prolonged grunt after she shanked a forehand. The shot seemed to be going long but landed inside the baseline, giving Svitolina the chance to play on. That's when the umpire intervened.

Sabalenka asked for a video review but the point penalty was upheld when Azemar Engzell confirmed her decision that the grunt was more elongated than usual.

It didn't bother Sabalenka for long. She broke serve in that game and controlled most of the remainder of the match.

Svitolina's only service break was at the start of the second set. But Sabalenka rallied immediately and won the next five games to take the semifinal away.

After reaching her first semifinal in Australia and winning a title in a warmup tournament in New Zealand, Svitolina will return to the top 10 for the first time since she took a maternity break in 2022.

The Auckland title was her first foray back on tour after an early end to the 2025 season for a mental health break. She said the rest and time out prolonged her career.

“Definitely very, very happy with the two weeks here and in New Zealand, as well, winning,” she said. “Gutted to not make it through tonight but it’s very difficult when you’re playing the world No. 1, who is really on fire.”

Svitolina was playing her fourth semifinal at a major — 2019 and 2023 at Wimbledon and the 2019 U.S. Open — but again wasn't able to go to the championship match.

“It was really complicated for me today,” she said, “but, yeah, I just want to take positives from the past weeks, the beginning of the year, and just carry them through for the season.”

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a forehand return to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Jessica Pegula of the U.S. reacts during her semifinal match against Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan plays a forehand return to Jessica Pegula of the U.S. during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates after defeating Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine plays a forehand return to Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts during her semifinal match against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Aryna Sabalenka, right, of Belarus walks past Elina Svitolina of Ukraine during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine gestures during her semifinal match against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts during her semifinal match against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam and the European Union on Thursday upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, Vietnam’s highest diplomatic level, as both recalibrate trade during disruptions to global finance driven by U.S. tariff pressure.

The upgrade places the EU on the same diplomatic footing as the United States, China and Russia and was announced during a visit to Hanoi by European Council President António Costa.

“At a moment when the international rules-based order is under threat from multiple sides, we need to stand side by side as reliable and predictable partners,” Costa said, adding that the partnership is about “developing spheres of shared prosperity.”

Costa arrived in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi after India and the European Union reached a free trade agreement on Tuesday after nearly two decades of negotiation.

Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong called the move a “historic milestone.”

The announcement comes less than a week after Vietnam reelected Communist Party General Secretary To Lam as the country’s top leader, endorsing his vision of economic growth driven by aggressive reforms.

Vietnam has been a major beneficiary of globalization, emerging as a key export hub for electronics, garments and consumer goods as multinational firms shifted production away from China.

That export-led growth has helped lift incomes and transform the economy, but Vietnam’s large and persistent trade surplus has drawn criticism, particularly from the U.S. and increasingly from Europe, where officials have raised concerns about market access.

For the EU, the deal strengthens access to one of Asia’s fastest-growing manufacturing hubs and supports efforts to diversify supply chains as trade tensions increase.

Bilateral trade in the first 11 months of 2025 reached more than $66.8 billion, up 6.6% from a year earlier. The EU is Vietnam’s fourth-largest trading partner, third-largest export market and fifth-largest import source. Vietnam is the EU’s biggest trading partner in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam hopes to continue growth to become a rich nation by 2045 and is aggressively seeking new markets to reduce reliance on the U.S., which is its largest export destination that absorbs about 30% of the goods Vietnam sends abroad. The two sides signed a free trade agreement in 2020.

European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong shake hands in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Bui Lam Khanh/VNA via AP)

European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong hug after a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Bui Lam Khanh/VNA via AP)

European Council President Antonio Costa, left, and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong hug after a press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Bui Lam Khanh/VNA via AP)