Rybakina

2023 - 3 - 19

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Desert Sun"

BNP Paribas Open: Elena Rybakina survives wild first set to top ... (The Desert Sun)

Elena Rybakina had faced Aryna Sabalenka four times heading into Sunday's BNP Paribas Open women's final and lost each time in three sets.

Aussie repeat: Sabalenka beat Rybakina to win the Australian Open in January. It's the third time the Australian Open and BNP Paribas Open have had identical finalists in the same year. After an impressive exchange, a forehand by Sabalenka sails long and she takes the first set. 2 seed Sabalenka was immediately broken to start the second set and that set the stage for Rybakina. I was just all over the place, and I was just trying to bring myself back on court and keep fighting. She lost for just the second time in 19 matches this year.

Rybakina tops Sabalenka to win Indian Wells title (WTA Tennis)

Elena Rybakina claimed the first WTA 1000 title of her career at the BNP Paribas Open by defeating Aryna Sabalenka for the first time in five attempts.

Rybakina held all the momentum as she powered to a 5-2 lead in the second set. Another double fault by Sabalenka gave Rybakina a set point at 6-5, but Rybakina fired a backhand long on that chance, and the duo moved into a tiebreak. Rybakina rising: Rybakina had already shown off her sterling form in the semifinals with a straight-sets dismissal of Swiatek. Rybakina is now 6-0 in tiebreaks this season. Sabalenka halted: It is only Sabalenka’s second loss of the season, as she falls to 17-2 on the year. This time around, Rybakina gritted out the first-set tiebreak, then fended off a late second-set comeback by the World No.2 to grab her first win over Sabalenka. For just the third time this century, the Australian Open finalists met again in the Indian Wells final. Sabalenka will remain at World No.2. Sabalenka went on a brief hot streak, winning eight points in a row to get to 5-4, but Rybakina conjured up another unreturned serve on her first championship point to close out the win. By defeating Sabalenka as a follow-up, Rybakina became the first player to defeat the World No.1 and World No.2 at Indian Wells in the same year. Sabalenka was aiming to become the first player to win three titles in 2023, adding to her crowns at the Australian Open and Adelaide International 1. Elena Rybakina won her first title of the season, and the first WTA 1000 title of her career, at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.

Elena Rybakina beats Aryna Sabalenka to win BNP Paribas Open (ESPN)

Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (11), 6-4 on Sunday to win the BNP Paribas Open and hand the world's second-ranked player just her second loss ...

"I was like a little bit overreacting on things, and I wasn't there in the first two games in the second set." "It was an incredible two weeks here," Rybakina said on court during the trophy ceremony. In that match, Sabalenka fired 17 aces and rallied from a set down to win her first Grand Slam title. Sabalenka won just 11 of 35 second-serve points. 2 seed Sabalenka committed 10 double faults. Sabalenka went the distance to beat Rybakina in the Australian Open final in January.

Rybakina sets sights on top ranking after Indian Wells triumph (Reuters)

Elena Rybakina said she was targeting the world number one ranking after the Wimbledon champion defeated Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday to capture the Indian ...

"I don't know what to say. So I need to always focus on the next tournament I play. "For now, I'm seven, but you know how quickly the rankings change.

'We're pushing each other': The making of a great Rybakina ... (WTA Tennis)

Suddenly, tennis has another potential great rivalry. Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have gone toe-to-toe in two of the biggest finals this year, ...

And so, in the two biggest tournaments in the season’s first three months, Rybakina and Sabalenka were the last players swinging. It was a brief resurfacing of the issue that plagued her over the first half of 2022. It’s just the beginning, many tournaments in front still. Sabalenka is ranked No.2 and Rybakina is up to No.7 on Monday, from No.10. The rollicking final went to Rybakina 7-6 (11), 6-4 -- the first set alone clocked in at 80 minutes and featured seven unclaimed set points. Sabalenka, 24 -- some 13 months older than Rybakina -- has won 17 of her 19 matches this year, while Rybakina is 16-for-20. They rose above the difficult conditions in Indian Wells, where some players said the court was playing slower than clay. Coming in, Sabalenka had a 4-0 head-to-head advantage, and all four matches went the three-set maximum distance before Sunday’s final. Rybakina, who broke through last year at Wimbledon, and Sabalenka have won two of the past three majors. -- Elena Rybakina, the newly crowned champion, was running through her thank-yous -- the ball kids, sponsors, her team -- when Aryna Sabalenka finally cracked. Rybakina converted her sixth when a Sabalenka forehand soared long. Standing unseen behind Rybakina during the BNP Paribas Open trophy presentation, Sabalenka stuck her tongue out and made a funny face.

Champions Corner: Sibling support, improved focus key for Rybakina (WTA Tennis)

Elena Rybakina crossed off another career milestone in Indian Wells. The BNP Paribas Open champion explains why it's all coming together.

But for sure the three of us have a really good start to the season and the question is who can maintain this level. I believe I can play well on all of them but the question is to be always healthy because if not, it's impossible. I think now I'm set outside of the court, and I don't have to worry about anything, so it's a big part of this [success]. So I think it's all together the experience part, the things that are set outside the court, it's easier to organize, and then of course, fitness. Do you feel like the three of you are pulling away from the pack? And I think it was just a matter of time. There was a lot going on in the last year off the court, so it was difficult to focus only on tennis. I kept saying it was a bit slow for me and in the end, I have to change my mind now coming back next year. Whether it was the win at Wimbledon, the whole family came to the final of the Australian Open, and she's here with me, so it's a win again. I think I had really good results, but then I was stopped by things we cannot control, either the pandemic or the schedule. Unfortunately in Dubai it was a bit unlucky but we managed the situation good. "This is a really good win for me.