The world No.5 made five double-faults but finished the match with her sixth ace as she comfortably defeated the experienced Romanian 6-3 6-2 on Saturday.
Sabalenka won more than 80 per cent of points on her first serve and controlled the contest from the baseline, proving far too powerful on the ground.
"I'm happy with the level I played," Sabalenka said, having advanced to the final without dropping a set.
"She's playing a little bit different style, so I'm super happy that I was able to win this match."
Sabalenka will meet either teenage qualifier Linda Noskova or top seed Ons Jabeur in the final as she chases her first WTA title since beating Ash Barty on clay in Madrid in May 2021.
The 24-year-old lost three finals last year, including to Carolina Garcia at the elite season-ending WTA Finals in Texas in November.
Sunday's final will be Sabalenka's first singles title decider in Australia.
It is the second time in three years she's made the final at her first event of the season, after winning Abu Dhabi in 2021.
"Probably we did everything right in the pre-season. I think this is the key," Sabalenka said.
Sabalenka spent a month in Dubai preparing for her 2023 campaign, during which she hopes to break through at grand slam level.
The Belarusian reached semifinals at Wimbledon (2021) and the US Open (2021, 2022).
22°C