Miami (AFP) – Kazakh tennis player Elena Rybakina defeated Belarusian Victoria Azarenka this Thursday in a three-set battle and qualified for her second consecutive final of the WTA 1000 in Miami.
First modification: 03/28/2024 – 23:35
2 min
Rybakina won by a score of 6-4, 0-6 and 7-6 (7/2), resisting the exciting comeback attempt by Azarenka, a three-time winner of the tournament and aspiring to be its oldest finalist at 34 years old.
The Kazakh, who lost in last year’s final to Petra Kvitova, will face the winner of the other semifinal on Thursday between the American Danielle Collins and the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova for the title.
World number four, Rybakina is the best positioned in the WTA ranking who remains in Miami after the eliminations of the first three seeds: Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.
The 24-year-old Kazakh landed in Florida after missing the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells due to an intestinal ailment, where she was to defend her title, and in Miami she emerged victorious from four matches decided in the third set.
“I didn’t come to this tournament with many expectations, I don’t remember a tournament that was so hard for me. The truth is, I don’t know how I’m surviving,” the Kazakh told Tennis Channel, mentioning the strong heat and humidity in which they compete in Miami.
Winner of Wimbledon in 2022, Rybakina has already lifted the titles in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi this year and reached the final of the WTA 1000 in Doha.
This Thursday she needed her fearsome service and all her cool to defeat Azarenka, determined to fight for her fourth Miami crown after those of 2009, 2011 and 2016.
The Belarusian overcame the loss of the first set and overwhelmed Rybakina by taking the second to love. In the decisive round, Rybakina served to win with a 5-4 advantage but the brave Azarenka achieved a providential ‘break’ and was 5-6 ahead.
Rybakina resisted the pressure and forced the tiebreak, in which she scored the first three points to put the long-suffering victory back on track after two and a half hours.
The Kazakh later explained that she had a drop in energy during the second set due to the conditions on the court.
“After three games where I lost so easily it was very difficult to regroup. I knew there would be a third set and I was just trying to prepare for it,” he said.
Her opponent in the final will come from the clash between two other experienced tennis players, Alexandrova (number 16 in the WTA) and Collins (53rd).
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