Coco Gauff digs in to earn a first point in this semi-final but she has left herself with too much to do and Aryna Sabalenka clinches the early breakthrough.

An impressive start from the defending champion.

Courtney Nguyen
WTA reporter on Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds

When Coco Gauff made her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, she did not play a great final and was nerve-ridden.

She was absolutely tight and she really regretted that.

Over time, she's been able to deal with that and manage those sets of nerves.

Aryna Sabalenka scorches the line with a ferocious forehand.

Three break points.

Coco Gauff is yet to win a point...

In contrast, Coco Gauff starts with successive double faults.

A lightning-quick start by Aryna Sabalenka, who begins with an ace and completes a swift opening love hold in a confident start.

The revenge mission begins.

Coco Gauff is unbeaten in her last 12 Grand Slam matches.

Aryna Sabalenka is unbeaten in her past 12 matches at the Australian Open.

Something has to give on Rod Laver Arena this evening.

It will be defending champion Sabalenka to serve first in what promises to be a blockbuster semi-final.

Russell Fuller
Tennis correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds

Coco Gauff has always had that Grand Slam-winning mentality.

Here's somebody now who knows how to win one.

I think she just feels it's business time when it gets to Grand Slam tournaments.

Image source, Getty Images

When Coco Gauff landed her first Grand Slam title with a stunning comeback against Aryna Sabalenka in in front of an expectant home crowd in New York, she delivered on the potential she had shown since bursting onto the women's tour aged 15.

"You do feel like you're the one to beat and I feel like people step on court and they play more free and want to play their best because there's no pressure," Gauff said on the change in approach she has noticed from opposition players since her US Open triumph.

"I definitely feel a change. But also, at the same time, when I was young nobody wanted to lose to a 15-year-old, so I felt people played really hard then too."

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport in Melbourne

As suspected, the roof will be closed for tonight's first semi-final.

Slate grey skies hovered overhead as I made the short walk from the media centre to Rod Laver Arena, with a few spots of rain splashing on to the laptop.

Russell Fuller
Tennis correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

It was an amazing performance by Coco Gauff in that US Open final in New York. She got so many balls back and then played a virtually perfect third set.

It wasn't just the errors from Aryna Sabalenka, it was the winners from Gauff in that third set. It was a masterclass in defending against Sabalenka's brutality.

Image source, Getty Images

Aryna Sabalenka has now reached the semi-finals at her past six Grand Slam tournaments - and eight of her last 10 since reaching her first at Wimbledon in 2021.

That level of consistency is something she puts down to a change in mindset and, following her quarter-final win, the Belarusian said learning how to control her emotions has been "the biggest decision" she has taken.

"I'm not getting crazy on court, I'm not rushing things. I'm just playing point by point and that's it, fighting for every point without overthinking about my dreams," Sabalenka said.

"I just decided at some point I needed to figure out by myself how to start controlling myself better. I think that decision was the biggest decision for me. I started actually taking responsibility for everything I'm doing."

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport in Melbourne

Before tonight's semi-finals, there will be a special ceremony honouring Australian former world number one Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Goolagong Cawley winning the Australian Open trophy for the first time.

Australian Open organisers are honouring the 72-year-old tonight for "the incredible contribution she’s made to her sport, her nation and her heritage".

From next year, the tournament's annual celebration of First Nations culture - which revers and respects Australia's indigenous people - will be known as Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day.

Image source, Getty Images

While Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are no strangers to playing big matches at Grand Slam tournaments, Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen and Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska will both be in uncharted territory when they contest the biggest match of their respective careers in the day's second semi-final.

The 21-year-old Zheng, set to move into the world's top 10 following her comeback quarter-final win over unseeded Russian Anna Kalinskaya, is through to the last four at a Slam for the first time - 10 years after compatriot Li Na triumphed in Melbourne.

But while Zheng also reached the last eight at the US Open, world number 93 Yastremska's previous best performance at a major was a run to the Wimbledon fourth round in 2019 and the 23-year-old has become the first qualifier to reach the Australian Open semi-finals in the women's draw in 46 years.

What an opportunity they both have today.

Image source, Getty Images

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport in Melbourne

If you've been in Melbourne over the past few weeks, you can't have missed the Australian Open.

The Grand Slam tournament is the centrepiece of the city's summer holidays and its iconic blue colour scheme - mirroring the courts at Melbourne Park - is visible everywhere.

LED screens, billboards and branding is plastered all over the streets, building and trams stops, with the advertisements ramping up further as you get closer to Melbourne Park.

This year's slogan is 'The AO Hits Different'.

Both Gauff and Sabalenka feature on posters as you walk into the site, which is a short distance from the iconic Flinders Street railway station and the city centre.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Playing her first major as a reigning Slam champion, fourth seed Coco Gauff had cruised into the Australian Open last eight.

But she scraped past Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in three sets in the quarter-finals, making 51 unforced errors in a match exceeding three hours in length.

She later admitted she hoped to have "got the bad match out of the way" before aiming for a place in her first Australian Open final.

The 19-year-old has won four of her previous six matches against Aryna Sabalenka - including the most recent at the US Open - but will know she will need to put in a much improved performance if she is to see off the Belarusian once again.

Image source, Getty Images

Britain's Alfie Hewett has reached the final of the men's wheelchair singles at the Australian Open but Gordon Reid was denied a meeting with his doubles partner by Japan's Tokito Oda.

Defending champion Hewett, an eight-time Grand Slam singles winner, beat Belgium's Joachim Gerard 6-4 6-1.

But 2016 champion Reid lost 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 to 17-year-old Oda, who set up a repeat of last year's title match

You can read more about those semi-finals here.

Four-time defending champions Hewett and Reid were meant to play their men's wheelchair doubles semi-final match last on Kia Arena but the rain in Melbourne on Thursday has forced that to be rescheduled.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Following her US Open final loss to Coco Gauff in New York, an emotional Aryna Sabalenka was seen smashing her racquet against the floor on the way back to the dressing room.

But the world number two has responded to that disappointment in emphatic fashion on her return to Grand Slam action in Melbourne.

The Belarusian is yet to lose a set, conceding just 16 games across five matches and not losing more than three games in any single set.

The longest she has been kept on court is the 71 minutes it took to dismiss Czech ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova in the quarter-finals, which extended her winning streak at Melbourne Park to 12 matches.

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport in Melbourne

Image source, BBC Sport

Hello, old friend. The rain makes Melbourne feels like Manchester this evening.

It's a grey old evening and, with the drizzle forecast to last another few hours, it'll be interesting to see if the roof stays closed on Rod Laver Arena.

That decision lies with the tournament referee.

If the roof is closed for the start of the semi-final between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka, then it will remain closed for the whole match.

You may remember the roof was also closed when Gauff beat Sabalenka in New York. Make what you will of that.

Image source, Getty Images

At the last Grand Slam of 2023, Aryna Sabalenka lost out in a thrilling US Open final after Coco Gauff fought back from a set down to win her first major singles title.

And the defending Australian Open champion has made no secret that she will be out for revenge against the American teenager today.

"After the US Open, I really wanted that revenge," Sabalenka said after setting up a rematch against Gauff.

"It's always a great battle against Coco, really great fights. I'm happy to play her and I'm super excited to play the semi-final match."

BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

You can listen to live commentary of both women's semi-finals with Tennis Breakfast on Radio 5 Sports Extra.

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