Sabalenka Beats Rybakina in Australian Open: Aryna Sabalenka captured her first Grand Slam crown by beating Elena Rybakina in the women’s singles final of the Australian Open on Saturday, January 28 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. The hard-hitting Belarusian came from a set down to outclass the Moscow-born Rybakina, who represents Kazakhstan, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The two-hour-and-28-minute classic was a clash between two of the most powerful hitters in the women’s division and they did not disappoint as both players went toe-to-toe using their brutal groundstrokes, precision serving and wonderful rallies that drew big applauses from the stands and online betting aficionados who watch tennis 24/7.
Sabalenka Beats Rybakina in Australian Open: Rybakina Strikes First, Sabalenka Retaliates
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, raced to a 34-minute, 6-4 win in the first set. But Sabalenka forced a decider by winning the 57-minute second set at 6-3. The turning point of the third set was the seventh game when Rybakina fell to an early hole. Although she saved two break points, Sabalenka responded with a winner that gave her a 4-3 edge. The Belarusian won the next game with a crucial ace for a 5-3 advantage. The 23-year-old Rybakina held her serve in the ninth game to cut the lead to 4-5. The 22nd-seed Kazakh made Sabalenka work in the 10th game as she saved four match points before the fifth-ranked netter struck a championship-winning hit and the first Grand Slam title of her career. Sabalenka was overpowering in the final, hitting 51 winners and striking 17 aces.
Sabalenka Climbs to World No2, Rybakina Climbs to Top 10
The win enabled Sabalenka to climb to second in the world rankings behind Poland’s Iga Swiatek. This equalled her career high, having triumphed in her first Grand Slam final. On the other hand, Rybakina breaks into the top 10 for the first time. It was her second Grand Slam final in seven months. However, the Kazakh did not earn ranking points for her Wimbledon win because of the ban on Russian and Belarusian players there.
The win further cemented the Belarusian player’s claim as one of the top players in the Women’s Tennis Association circuit. Sabalenka is the most consistent women’s tennis star in the world right now and has sent a loud message to fellow netters that she is ready to claim the World No1 ranking sooner than later. As for Rybakina, her appearance in the final showed that her Wimbledon conquest last year was no fluke and this proves her readiness to compete with the elite tennis stars in the world. Overall, the Australian Open women’s singles tournament was filled with surprises and the action during the past two weeks was intense and nerve-wracking that made betting for WTA tennis more exciting than ever.
