Coco Gauff bounced in Aussie Open semis

The stage is set for the women's singles Australian Open title, and somewhat surprisingly, Coco Gauff won't be there.

Women's Tennis Associated world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka defeated Gauff in the Australian Open semifinals 7-6, 6-4, sending her to the finals where she'll face world No. 15 Qinwen Zheng, who also won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, over Dayana Yastremska.

Sabalenka was the pre-match favorite, but Gauff's three-set win over her in the 2023 U.S. Open finals lent credence to the argument that the teen phenom could score a second consecutive grand slam win in the matchup.

Both players broke through in 2023 with their first major titles; Sabalenka won the 2023 Australian Open in three sets over Elena Rybakina.

If Sabalenka wins the 2024 title, she'll become the first woman since Victoria Azarenka (2012-13) to win consecutive Aussie Open trophies.

Zheng's run to the semis already represented her best appearance at a grand slam. She reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 U.S. Open, where she lost in straight sets to Sabalenka, and her previous best finish at the Australian was the Round of 64 (2022, 2023).

That U.S. Open match is the only previous head-to-head meeting between Sabalenka and Zheng. Per ESPN Bet, Sabalenka (-550) is a heavy favorite to win again and secure her second grand slam title.