[ad_1]
Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan celebrates with the winner’s trophy after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final during the BNP Paribas Open on March 19, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images via AFP)
INDIAN WELLS, United States – Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (11/13), 6-4 on Sunday to win the WTA Indian Wells title and avenge her loss to the Belarusian in the Australian Open final.
Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, the world number 10 who defeated top-ranked defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals, followed up with her first win over second-ranked Sabalenka in five career meetings.
When Sabalenka has the edge from the baseline in a hard-fought battle, Rybakina’s fierce pressure saw the serve demons that beset Sabalenka last year resurface.
His 10 double faults in the opening frame ultimately proved too much to overcome.
After missing three break points in the marathon fourth game, she broke Rybakina for the advantage, but Sabalenka returned the break with a double fault to seal the eighth game.
She gave Rybakina a set point with another double fault in the 12th game and when the Kazakhstan player couldn’t capitalize, she would eventually do so in the tiebreaker.
Unable to convert two sets of points in the decider, Sabalenka’s 10th double fault from the set gave Rybakina a set of six points and she took it.
Sabalenka, struggling to suppress her emotions, was broken to love to open the second set and that was all the opening Rybakina needed.
The Moscow-born Kazakh saved a pair of break points to push her lead to 3-1 and, with Sabalenka in survival mode, she ripped a backhand back up the line for a break that gave her a 5-2 lead.
Sabalenka will not go quietly, break Rybakina to love and hold serve with ease with the wind in her back.
But Rybakina polished with confidence on the first match point when Sabalenka smacked her serve back into the net.
gsg
French Media Agency
Your subscription cannot be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
Read Next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & 70+ other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to news, download from 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For suggestions, complaints, or questions, please contact us.
[ad_2]
Source link