Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina managed the decisive moments and defeated Victoria Azarenka 7-6(4), 6-3 to reach the Australian Open final for the first time.

The consequence of that shift is evident in a run to the final that has been even more impressive than her first. Against Azarenka, the 2012 and 2013 champion, in slower, cold night conditions, she could not summon the level of her previous rounds. She received no respect with court assignments and her low seeding, still outside the top 20 due to the lack of points on offer at Wimbledon, meant she received far more difficult draws than a reigning grand slam champion would otherwise get. She broke serve quickly in the second set after a flurry of Azarenka mistakes and her own serve returned in full. As Rybakina’s greater weight of shot, with the power she generates so easily, met Azarenka’s incessant depth and industriousness, Rybakina moved ahead. Even as both players looked to take the initiative and dominate the baseline, this match was always going to be told in its contrasts.

Continuing her relentless charge through the draw, Rybakina overpowered the two-time former champion 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in Thursday night's opening semi-final at ...

Victoria Azarenka has been knocked out of the Australian Open at the semi final stage - Victoria Azarenka's Australian Open journey is over after losing the semi final Victoria Azarenka's bid for a third Australian Open title is OVER after Elena Rybakina dominates the Belarusian veteran to reach the final

MELBOURNE — Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina reached her second final in the past three Grand Slam tournaments by beating Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (4), ...

Sure, Rybakina again faltered for a bit while trying to serve out the victory at 5-2. A mistake-filled tiebreaker ended with Azarenka pushing a forehand wide to cap an 11-shot exchange, and the set belonged to Rybakina. Rybakina encountered similar issues and her occasional inconsistency was encapsulated by the very first game. 1 and a three-time runner-up at the U.S. Rybakina might be seeded just 22nd in Melbourne, and ranked just 25th, but those numbers are rather misleading and not indicative at all of her talent and form. “Kind of hard to digest,” Azarenka said. She delivered serves at up to 117 mph and stinging groundstrokes that she used to close points seemingly at will on Thursday. It wasn’t the case that each and every shot Sabalenka hit landed right on a line, but it must have seemed that way to Linette. Azarenka lost the mark on her strokes, for the most part, making things smoother for Rybakina, while Sabalenka raced to a 6-0 lead in hers. “For sure, they’re very experienced players,” said Rybakina, whose parents and sister have been in town throughout the Australian Open. “In the tiebreaker, I really found my rhythm,” Sabalenka said. Sabalenka is far less cautious, though, and her penchant for high-risk, high-reward play was evident against Linette, who had never before been past the third round in 29 appearances at majors.

The women's 2023 Australian Open final is set: Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will take on Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan after the two each won their semifinal ...

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is into her second major final after defeating Victoria Azarenka in the Australian Open semifinals.

A sixth double fault from Azarenka gave Rybakina triple-break point and the Wimbledon champion converted after Azarenka's final shot landed in the net. In the end, I just was playing point by point no matter score. A clean return winner at 5-2, 30-40 gave the 33-year-old one break back, but Rybakina closed out the match on her return. Rybakina kept the sustained pressure on Azarenka's serve, breaking on five of 11 break points. "Not a great feeling right now to digest. Having lost just one set in the tournament, Rybakina proved a formidable frontrunner. But Rybakina broke straight back and settled herself on serve to take a 4-3 lead. As Azarenka's serve began to falter, Rybakina grabbed a second break to lead 5-2. Playing in her first Australian Open semifinal, Rybakina faced a major champion for the third straight match. This time it was Rybakina's turn to withstand the pressure on her serve. MELBOURNE, Australia -- Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina advanced to her second major final, defeating former No.1 Victoria Azarenka 7-6(4), 6-3 on Thursday in the Australian Open semifinals. Azarenka finished with 17 winners and 13 unforced errors.

Belarusian fifth seed to face reigning Wimbledon champion for the first Grand Slam title of the season.

"It was an incredible atmosphere and I'm super happy to be in the final and play again here. Meanwhile, Azarenka said the loss was difficult to digest. Both players were excellent on serve for much of the first set, which was decided by a one-sided tiebreak, and from there Sabalenka rode the momentum to race into a 5-1 lead. As usual, Rybakina did it with her powerful serve – firing nine aces to bring her total to a tournament-high 44 – and stinging groundstrokes that she used to close points seemingly at will. "I'm super happy and proud. Rybakina added to what already was an impressive run through a string of top opponents.