Coco Gauff eliminated from Australian Open in semifinal loss to Aryna Sabalenka

American tennis star Coco Gauff is out of the Australian Open after losing in Thursday's night's semifinal to reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 7-6 (2), 6-4 — marking Gauff's first loss of the year.

The second-seeded Sabalenka will compete in the final Saturday at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena against China's Qinwen Zheng, who defeated Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska Thursday. 

Sabalenka is the first woman to reach back-to-back finals at the Australian Open since Serena Williams did it in 2016 and 2017.