Rybakina wins, at 23, the fourth title of his career. FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP
The Kazakhstani, world N.10, took her revenge for the Australian Open on Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. Success in two sets 7-6 (13/11), 6-4.
More consistent, Elena Rybakina, 10th in the world, won the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells for the first time, beating 7-6 (13/11), 6-4 Aryna Sabalenka (2nd), Sunday in California.
The Kazakhstani, champion at Wimbledon last year, won the fourth title of her career at the age of 23, after those also won in Bucharest in 2019 and Hobart in 2020.
She succeeds the winners of the world No.1 Iga Swiatek whom she swept in the semi-finals, like two months earlier in the round of 16 at the Australian Open. A few days later in Melbourne, she fell in the final against Sabalenka in three sets, for the fourth time in as many confrontations.
«This is the first that it goes as I wish, I hope we will play many more finals“Said Rybakina, cut off immediately by her rival, claiming with a smile:”And I’ll make sure it’s the last time», provoking general hilarity.
For their reunion in the Californian desert, the Kazakhstani was finally able to take her revenge. And it was the victory of the first set, extremely tight, which decided the fate of the game, because then the frustration only increased for his opponent, weighed down by a crippling number of unforced errors.
For 1 hour and 15 minutes this set lasted, the excitement was evident on both sides, but stronger for the Belarusian. Spoiling two set points, she committed no less than ten double faults, including three in the deciding game, also sprinkled with numerous unforced errors in the exchanges. What to hit his racket on the ground.
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Rybakina, more solid on his commitment (7 aces in total), ended up winning, but he still needed six chances to win the decisive game.
In the aftermath, the Kazakhstani took advantage of her opponent’s frustration, to steal her serve from the start of the second set, again taking advantage of her unforced errors.
Sabalenka had two break points, unsuccessfully at the end, even conceding a new break to be trailed 5-2. Rybakina was nevertheless immediately overtaken by the challenge on her serve, lost on a white game, offering a reprieve to her rival.
But the Kazakhstani was still able to remain solid on her next commitment to inflict on Belarus her second defeat in 19 matches, under the eyes of the legendary Rod Laver, the billionaire Bill Gates or the singer P!nk.
First in her country to win the event and more generally a tournament in this category just below the Grand Slams, Rybakina confirms her emergence at the highest level since Wimbledon.
His career in Indian Wells saw him successively dismiss the N.1 and the N.2 in the world. She will be rewarded with a jump to 7th place in the WTA rankings released on Monday.