Australian Open quick hits: Sabalenka's shopping trip bribe, four sisters hit the court

Some interesting off-court anecdotes emerged on Day 12 of the Australian Open. After defeating her friend Paula Badosa, Aryna Sabalenka worried about the impact on their friendship, even offering to treat her to a shopping spree as compensation. Additionally, a tennis umpire was caught humming a song during a match break, while a doubles match featuring two pairs of twin sisters was a dazzling spectacle.

Sabalenka defeated her "soulmate" Badosa 6-4, 6-2 in the semi-finals. Afterwards, she expressed concern about the potential impact on their friendship, joking, "I hope she's still my friend. I promise, if we go shopping, I'll buy her anything she wants." Her words demonstrated both her regard for their friendship and her relaxed mood after the victory.

On another note, tennis umpire Nico Helwerth was caught on camera humming Neil Diamond's classic song "Sweet Caroline" during a break in the semi-finals at Rod Laver Arena. While he wasn't the only one singing along, his behavior as an umpire was somewhat unique. This moment added a lighthearted touch to the tense competition.

Furthermore, a special doubles match took place at Margaret Court Arena, featuring two pairs of twin sisters competing against each other. The American sisters, Annika and Kristina Penickova, wearing identical outfits and shoes, faced off against the Czech sisters, Alena and Jana Kovackova. Although the Kovackova sisters are not twins, their similar appearance made the match look like a competition between quadruplets.

Finally, today's match schedule has also been set. The Australian mixed doubles final will begin at 12:00 PM, featuring Kim Birrell and John-Patrick Smith against Olivia Gadecki and John Peers. Subsequently, Novak Djokovic will face Alexander Zverev in the men's singles semi-finals after 2:30 PM, while Jannik Sinner will play against Ben Shelton after 7:30 PM. Additionally, Australian junior player Emerson Jones will participate in two matches, including the singles and doubles finals.