Yelena Rybakina defeated Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (13-11), 6-4 to win the prestigious WTA 1000 tournament on hard courts in Indian Wells. A tennis player from Kazakhstan eliminated the defending champion Iga Świątek in the semi-finals.
The two finalists met earlier this year in the Australian Open Grand Slam final. Sabalenka won in Melbourne 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Rybakina reached the final in Indian Wells after a 6:2, 6:2 semi-final victory over the Polish leader of the world ranking, while the second in this clification Belarusian eliminated last year’s finalist – the Greek Maria Sakkari 6:2, 6:3.
Already the first, extremely long game of Sunday’s final heralded an even and fierce match. The winner of the Australian Open had a break ball in it, but the rival came out with a defensive hand, keeping the p. Later, the Belarusian managed to break the Moscow-born player, who has been representing Kazakhstan since 2019, and took the lead 4:2. However, Rybakina was able to make up for the losses and the result in the first set was decided by a tie-break.
The level of the match dropped a bit, both tennis players made a lot of unforced errors. Ultimately, after a long – lasting almost an hour and a half – game, Slayer Swiatek was slightly better.
The won tie-break gave her strength, because in the first game of the second set she broke the opponent, taking the lead 2:0. In the fourth game, Sabalenka had two opportunities to make up for this loss, but the winner of last year’s Wimbledon managed to keep the serve, and then break her rival again to 5:2, which was helped not only by the Belarusian’s fatigue, but also by the increasing wind.
The vice-leader of the world ranking did not intend to give up, in the next game she answered the opponent with a break, confidently maintained her service and lost only 4:5. However, Rybakina did not allow her to do more and sealed her first triumph in this prestigious event a moment later.
In the latest WTA ranking Kazaszka, who won the fourth tournament in her career and the first one this season, will be in seventh place and will be the highest in her career. Her position would be even better, but for last year’s Wimbledon, which she won, no points were awarded due to the exclusion of tennis players from Russia and Belarus.
Sabalenka will remain the vice-leader of the ranking, but her loss to Świątek will decrease to 3235 points.
Now the tennis caravan is moving to Miami, where on Tuesday the main bracket of the second event belonging to the so-called. Sunshine Double. Świątek will defend the title from a year ago, this time he may meet Rybakina in the quarter-finals, and he may meet Sabalenka only in the final.
Final result:
Yelena Rybakina (Kazakhstan, 10) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus, 2) 7:6 (13-11), 6:4. (PAP)
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