Share

Azarenka reaches final

Brisbane - World number two Victoria Azarenka recovered from a disastrous opening set to beat Jelena Jankovic 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 Friday and reach the final of the Brisbane International.

Azarenka was all at sea in the opening set as she was swept aside by the Serbian in just 29 minutes.

With her serve misfiring badly, the second seeded Azarenka looked certain of a quick exit on Pat Rafter Arena, particularly when she went 0-40 down in the first game of the second set.

But she fought her way back to win that game, and from that point the momentum turned as Azarenka began to find her rhythm and Jankovic started to fade.

After struggling to finish off Swiss player Stefanie Voegele in the quarter-finals on Thursday, wasting nine match points before eventually triumphing, Azarenka again faltered towards the end against Jankovic.

Serving for the match at 5-2, she was broken by Jankovic, who then held serve to make it 5-4.

But despite blowing a match point at 40-30, Azarenka won the next two to reach the final, where she will play either Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE