<p>Australia's Ashleigh Barty continued her excellent form this week when she dismantled fifth seed Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals of the season-opening Adelaide International on Saturday.</p>.<p>Barty, the world number one, dominated her Polish opponent to win 6-2, 6-4 and show why she will go into this month's Australian Open as a firm favourite.</p>.<p>She will take on Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in the final after the seventh seed beat Japanese player Misaki Doi 6-4, 6-3 in the first match on centre court.</p>.<p>Barty has had a tough draw this week but has got better each match.</p>.<p>After pulling out of all tennis following September's US Open because of the pandemic, Barty has faced three players inside the top 25 this week.</p>.<p>She came back from a set and a break down to rising American teenage star Coco Gauff in the second round, then demolished former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the quarter-finals.</p>.<p>"This tournament was exceptionally tough right the way through," Barty said.</p>.<p>"There were certainly no easy matches, but I love to test myself against the best in the world and tonight was no different.</p>.<p>"I felt like each match I've got progressively better and hopefully I've got a little bit left in the tank for tomorrow."</p>.<p>Barty broke Swiatek twice in the first set and once in the second, taking advantage of 31 unforced errors from her opponent.</p>.<p>She served beautifully once again -- Swiatek only had two break points opportunities in the match, once in each set.</p>.<p>But Barty also tormented Swiatek with her range of shots, the world number nine particularly struggling with Barty's sliced backhand.</p>.<p>In the first semi-final, Rybakina started slowly but had too much firepower for Doi, winning 6-4, 6-3 in 83 minutes.</p>.<p>She served nine aces and hit 22 winners in the straight-sets win to book her place in the final.</p>.<p>The 22-year-old, who stands 1.84 metres (6 feet) tall, went into the tournament ranked 14th in the world.</p>.<p>Reaching the final will see her rise to 12th, and if she beats Barty she will end the week as world number 11.</p>.<p>Against Doi, Rybakina looked sluggish early and dropped her first service game.</p>.<p>But in a match of few long rallies, she broke straight back and then broke Doi again at 5-4 to take the first set in 40 minutes.</p>.<p>She found her range and was never troubled on serve, while Doi came under increasing pressure from her opponent's powerful hitting.</p>.<p>Rybakina broke at 3-3 in the second, then again at 5-3 to claim a comfortable win.</p>.<p>In the first of the men's semi-finals, second-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov ousted the big-serving Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.</p>.<p>Khachanov played more consistently than his Croatian opponent, whose forehand began to misfire in the first set tiebreak and during the second set.</p>.<p>Khachanov, who reached the sixth final of his career with the win, will now play either top-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils or Australian wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis in the decider.</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>
<p>Australia's Ashleigh Barty continued her excellent form this week when she dismantled fifth seed Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals of the season-opening Adelaide International on Saturday.</p>.<p>Barty, the world number one, dominated her Polish opponent to win 6-2, 6-4 and show why she will go into this month's Australian Open as a firm favourite.</p>.<p>She will take on Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in the final after the seventh seed beat Japanese player Misaki Doi 6-4, 6-3 in the first match on centre court.</p>.<p>Barty has had a tough draw this week but has got better each match.</p>.<p>After pulling out of all tennis following September's US Open because of the pandemic, Barty has faced three players inside the top 25 this week.</p>.<p>She came back from a set and a break down to rising American teenage star Coco Gauff in the second round, then demolished former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the quarter-finals.</p>.<p>"This tournament was exceptionally tough right the way through," Barty said.</p>.<p>"There were certainly no easy matches, but I love to test myself against the best in the world and tonight was no different.</p>.<p>"I felt like each match I've got progressively better and hopefully I've got a little bit left in the tank for tomorrow."</p>.<p>Barty broke Swiatek twice in the first set and once in the second, taking advantage of 31 unforced errors from her opponent.</p>.<p>She served beautifully once again -- Swiatek only had two break points opportunities in the match, once in each set.</p>.<p>But Barty also tormented Swiatek with her range of shots, the world number nine particularly struggling with Barty's sliced backhand.</p>.<p>In the first semi-final, Rybakina started slowly but had too much firepower for Doi, winning 6-4, 6-3 in 83 minutes.</p>.<p>She served nine aces and hit 22 winners in the straight-sets win to book her place in the final.</p>.<p>The 22-year-old, who stands 1.84 metres (6 feet) tall, went into the tournament ranked 14th in the world.</p>.<p>Reaching the final will see her rise to 12th, and if she beats Barty she will end the week as world number 11.</p>.<p>Against Doi, Rybakina looked sluggish early and dropped her first service game.</p>.<p>But in a match of few long rallies, she broke straight back and then broke Doi again at 5-4 to take the first set in 40 minutes.</p>.<p>She found her range and was never troubled on serve, while Doi came under increasing pressure from her opponent's powerful hitting.</p>.<p>Rybakina broke at 3-3 in the second, then again at 5-3 to claim a comfortable win.</p>.<p>In the first of the men's semi-finals, second-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov ousted the big-serving Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.</p>.<p>Khachanov played more consistently than his Croatian opponent, whose forehand began to misfire in the first set tiebreak and during the second set.</p>.<p>Khachanov, who reached the sixth final of his career with the win, will now play either top-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils or Australian wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis in the decider.</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>