Canadian star Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe showcased their prowess on Monday, swiftly claiming their spots in the semifinals of the Australian Open.
The second-seeded duo put on an impressive performance, overpowering Japan’s Miyu Kato and Mexico’s Renata Zarazua with a decisive score of 6-3, 6-2 in just 77 minutes on Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Park.
Next up for Dabrowski and Routliffe is a clash against the formidable third seeds Jelena Ostapenko from Latvia and Taiwan’s Su-Wei Hsieh in the semifinals.
The Ostapenko/Ruse partnership triumphed over Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, edging them out with a nail-biting 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 victory later in the day.
In their quarterfinal win, Dabrowski and Routliffe delivered a stellar performance with two aces and three double faults, yet remarkably boasted no unforced errors. They dominated with 27 points while receiving and an impressive 35 points while serving, all thanks to a remarkable 57% win rate on their second serve, far eclipsing Kato and Zarazua’s 20%.
The winning duo also capitalized on their chances, converting five of seven break points and securing victory in five return games.