Elena Rybakina Extends Astonishing Top-10 Winning Streak After Beating Aryna Sabalenka in Australian Open Final
Elena Rybakina improved her head-to-head record over Aryna Sabalenka to 7-8 after the final Down Under.
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Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina (Image via X/HQ Pics)
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Elena Rybakina scripted history on Saturday (January 31) with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final. In front of the Rod Laver Arena crowd, Rybakina extended her winning streak over the top 10 players to 10.
After a shaky start, Sabalenka managed to tackle the rain of winners from Rybakina’s forehand and backhand. Momentum kept shifting throughout the first set.
Sabalenka got the chance to break Rybakina for the first time while leading 4-3. But the serve bot managed to hold her serve. Next, Sabalenka served to stay in the set and after racing to 40-0, came a drop shot from the Kazakh ace to dumbfound Sabalenka, who eventually ended up winning the game.
It was Rybakina’s chance to become the first player to take a set off the Belarusian for the first time this year. Rybakina then served at 40-30, won the first set after Sabalenka’s shot went wide. Sabalenka, prior to arriving in Melbourne, defended her crown at the Brisbane International, winning all matches in straight sets, including in the final against Marta Kostyuk.
In the second set, Sabalenka managed to hold her serve in the first game. At deuce, Rybakina committed her second double fault of the match, but thanks to a volley, she stayed in the game to give advantage to her opponent and saved another break point. The game lasted for more than nine minutes, and they played 18 points.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion held her serve to tie the scores 3-3. Initially, both players kept points short. On her serve, Sabalenka won a point off an incredible rally that saw both covering the court in the seventh game. At 40-30, Sabalenka committed a double fault, and they were at deuce, but Sabalenka increased her intensity to close out the set.
Rybakina found herself serving to stay in the ninth game but was struggling to match Rybakina’s intensity. Sabalenka was at set point at 40-0 and won it, also becoming the first player to take a set off Rybakina in the tournament.
In the opening service game, Sabalenka held her serve. It seemed Sabalenka was on course to repeat the result of the 2023 Australian Open final. After racing to 2-0 off, Sabalenka let out a roar and later a loud, “let’s go” when Rybakina failed to break her.
Rybakina’s level dropped while Sabalenka increased her intensity as the match progressed. Rybakina’s coach, Stefano Vukov, urged her to be more energetic, and she broke back thanks to two powerful shots. Rybakina held her serve to tie the score to 3-3 and also ended up breaking Sabalenka in the next game. Rybakina, after trailing 0-3, clinched five straight games.
Sabalenka somehow held her serve, but next, it was Rybakina’s turn to serve, to close out the match and take revenge. She found herself serving at 40-30. And yes, she smashed ace and ended the match in her favor.
Rybakina lifted her career’s first Grand Slam title at the 2022 Wimbledon against Ons Jabeur. It was Rybakina whom Sabalenka defeated in the 2023 Australian Open final to win her career’s first Grand Slam singles title.
The following year, Sabalenka defended her crown by going past Qinwen Zheng. But Madison Keys ruined her dream of a three-peat of the Melbourne Slam last year. Sabalenka then suffered another Grand Slam heartbreak when Coco Gauff upset her in the French Open final. After her defeat in the Wimbledon semifinal at the hands of eventual runner-up Amanda Anisimova, Sabalenka took her revenge on the American ace in front of her home crowd in the US Open final, defending her crown.
Rybakina, last year, failed to progress beyond the fourth round of a Major, losing in the last 16 in Melbourne, Paris, and New York, while in the grass-court Major, she suffered a third-round exit.
More to come…
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