MELBOURNE, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka will aim to take ‌a huge stride towards a third Australian Open title in four years when the Belarusian top seed clashes with Ukraine's Elina Svitolina on Thursday in a ‌semi-final simmering with geopolitical tension.

Both players will navigate the political sensitivities that have cast a shadow over their meetings on the tour since Russia's ‌invasion of Ukraine in 2022, for which Belarus has been a staging ground, and there will be no customary handshakes at the net.