Paula Badosa is looking for a maiden Grand Slam final while defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is hoping for a third consecutive Australian Open win.

Paula Badosa thought she might retire due to a back injury. A year later, she's in to the semifinals against close friend Aryna Sabalenka.

Aryna Sabalenka will not let her friendship with Paula Badosa affect her quest to win a third successive Australian Open title when the best friends clash in the semi-finals, the defending champion said on Tuesday.

The Spaniard is playing at an extremely high level heading into this semifinal showdown.

Aryna Sabalenka will face close friend Paula Badosa in the semi-finals of the Australian Open after battling to victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The two-time defending champion’s 18-match winning run at Melbourne Park looked in serious danger when she lost the second set on a windy Rod Laver Arena.

Paula Badosa has continued her resurgence here at the Australian Open, a dogged refusal to back down and take more seeds down, including Coco Gauff, in straight sets during the Quarter-Final match. Her shot selection was measured; she never gave up being consistent from the baseline and was also clutch on those return games in beating Gauff.

Aryna Sabalenka is set to face her best friend Paula Badosa in the Australian Open semi-finals, aiming for a third consecutive title. Despite their friendship, Sabalenka is determined to maintain her competitive edge and join an elite group of players who have achieved consecutive wins.

The first matches of Day 12 of the Melbourne Major begin at 11.30 am local time on the Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena, while those on Kia Arena, John Cain Arena, and other courts commence at 11 am. The evening session on the Rod Laver Arena, when the singles semifinals will be played, begins at 7.30 pm local time.

Aryna Sabalenka will face close friend Paula Badosa in the semi-finals of the Australian Open after battling to a 6-2 2-6 6-3 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a third consecutive Australian Open championship will continue after she got past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a surprisingly difficult quarterfinal.

Delray Beach's Coco Gauff was eliminated from the Australian Open Tuesday, losing in straight sets to Spain's Paula Badosa. The third-seeded Gauff, who had been playing well since the end of the year, fell 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals at Rod Laver Arena.