Gauff fulfilled what had lengthy appeared her future by profitable in New York, when she fought again from a set all the way down to beat Sabalenka.
This time she was unable to repeat the feat as Sabalenka ended her unbeaten begin to the 2024 season.
Gauff got here to Melbourne on the again of profitable a WTA title in Auckland and didn’t drop a set in her opening 4 matches.
However, after scraping previous Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in what she referred to as a “dangerous” quarter-final, she seemed extraordinarily nervy within the early levels of the semi-final.
Gauff’s rigidity was illustrated by six double faults within the first set, though she additionally confirmed her capacity to mentally reset as she twice recovered from being a break down.
After absorbing a lot strain, Gauff broke for 6-5 however blew the possibility to serve out the set from 30-0 and was punished as Sabalenka dominated the tie-break.
Gauff needed to battle off extra break factors within the first and sixth video games of the second set, with the strain telling when free errors from the baseline allowed Sabalenka to interrupt for 5-4.
This time, Sabalenka didn’t permit the chance to slide from her grasp and earned the “revenge” she wished to precise on Gauff for her Flushing Meadows defeat.
“It was a tricky match for me,” stated Gauff, who seemed near tears whereas she left Rod Laver Area.
“General it was a constructive event. I had possibilities in each units, however she performed higher. I believe it simply got here all the way down to a few factors and that is tennis.”