Aryna Sabalenka moved one win away from becoming the first woman since 1999 to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, recovering from a slow start to beat good friend Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 Thursday night and return to the final.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Aryna Sabalenka continued her charge towards a third-straight Australian Open title by overwhelming her “soulmate” Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 in Thursday evening’s semifinal.

Paula Badosa joked that rival Aryna Sabalenka could now buy her "something really expensive" after being offered a shopping trip by her opponent following their Australian Open semi-final. Playing in her first Grand Slam final four clash, the Spaniard was no match for the defending champion, going down 6-4 6-2.

The first of two Australian Open women’s singles semifinals is set for an early Thursday morning start in Melbourne as No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka battles No. 11 Paula Badosa.

Aryna Sabalenka has put herself within reach of a third-straight Australian Open title after storming through the semifinals.

Aryna Sabalenka remains on course for a historic third straight Australian Open title after beating No. 11 seed and close friend Paula Badosa 6-4 6-2 in Thursday’s first semifinal.

Aryna Sabalenka will get the opportunity to shoot for a third consecutive Australian Open title after thrashing Paula Badosa in the semi-final at Rod Laver Arena.

We're also on Facebook @‌dailyexpresssport - offering your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day to like, comment and share from the Daily Express, Sunday Express and Express.co.uk.

The semifinal matches are scheduled to start at 3:30 a.m. EST and will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Fans looking to watch can do so through FuboTV, which offers a free trial and $30 off your first month, or DirecTV Stream, which also offers a free trial. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial but does have other promotional offers available.

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.