Elena Rybakina continues to make waves in the tennis world, as the reigning Wimbledon champion secured her spot in the Australian Open final with a commanding 7-6(4) 6-3 victory over 2012-2013 Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka.
The 23-year-old Kazakh player fell a breakdown early on in the first set, but quickly charged back and won three consecutive games to serve for the set at 5-3. Despite missing the opportunity to take a one-set lead at that point, Rybakina played aggressive tennis in the tiebreak and ultimately sealed the opening set in 60 minutes.
In the second set, Azarenka lost steam and Rybakina comfortably cruised to victory, finishing the match on Azarenka’s serve as the Belarusian netted a backhand on the second match point.
This marks Rybakina’s second Grand Slam final, following her debut in the 2020 French Open where she reached the semifinals before losing to Iga Świątek. With her impressive performance in Melbourne, Rybakina is proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the women’s tennis world.
It’s worth mentioning that Rybakina has an impressive record in Grand Slams, reaching the 4th round in Wimbledon 2020, she reached the semi-final of the French Open 2020, and also she reached the quarter-final in US Open 2020.
Her last obstacle in Melbourne will be the winner of the upcoming semifinal between fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and surprise semifinalist Magda Linette of Poland. Whether she takes home the title or not, one thing is for certain: Rybakina is a rising star in the tennis world and a player to watch in the future.
It will be exciting to see how Rybakina fares against her next opponent and whether she can bring home her first Grand Slam title.
It’s worth mentioning that with this win, Rybakina becomes the youngest player to reach the final of the Australian Open since Maria Sharapova in 2008, and she will be the first Kazakh player to reach a Grand Slam final.
