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Elena Rybakina threw down the gauntlet to the elite of women’s tennis, winning her second major and claiming the Australian Open for the first time – toppling world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and reversing the result of three years prior on Rod Laver Arena.
Rybakina, 26, now has grand slam triumphs on hardcourt and grass and has staked her claim as one of the best players in the sport with a fighting victory in Saturday night’s final, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Elena Rybakina with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.Credit: Eddie Jim
The Kazakhstani star didn’t drop a set at Melbourne Park until she was forced to fight back in a gripping contest that went the distance against the game’s best player. Rybakina will be overjoyed with a second grand slam success achieved after she fell short against Sabalenka three years ago.
On that occasion, Rybakina also won the first set 6-4 against the Belarusian. This time, however, that strong opening acted as the foundations for another major triumph.
Saturday night’s final was a titanic battle between the two most in-form players in women’s tennis. That it went to three sets and was decided after two hours and 18 minutes made the contest worthy of the occasion.
Not only did Rybakina defeat three top 10 opponents – Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, American Jessica Pegula, and Sabalenka – at the business end of the Open to complete a memorable fortnight, she carried red-hot form from last November’s WTA Finals triumph in Riyadh, when she beat Sabalenka in straight sets, into the Australian summer and barely missed a beat.
Opponents came and went at Melbourne Park and not even her 7-5, 6-1 destruction of Swiatek in the quarter-finals appeared to create any hype or genuine discussion that the hard-hitting Kazakhstani was the player to beat this January.
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