2-time Australian champ Azarenka tops Pegula, talks anxiety
By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Victoria Azarenka has defeated Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-1 to reach the Australian Open semifinals for the first time in a decade. Azarenka displayed the same confident brand of hard-hitting baseline tennis that carried her to championships at Melbourne Park in 2012 and 2013. Azarenka’s semifinal opponent will be reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. She beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4. Karen Khachanov moved into his first Australian Open semifinal when Sebastian Korda stopped playing in the third set because of an injured right wrist. Khachanov will face No. 3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas for a berth in the final.