The 2023 Australian Open women’s final will see fifth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka go against world No. 25 Elena Rybakina, after the latter defeated two-time winners Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 in straight sets on Thursday.
The 23-year-old’s eventful run in Melbourne is not over yet as she qualifies for her first-ever Australian Open final and the second-ever Grand Slam final of her young career after she won Wimbledon last year.
Rybakina topped the Belarusian with her emphatic serves, powering past her with nine aces, winning 39 receiving points, and taking five break points.
The match lasted for an hour and 41 minutes, with the 22-seed ending the tie with 30 winners to Azarenka’s 26, with the latter having 27 unforced errors.
The young Kazakh was overjoyed with her victory and attributed her dominance to her Wimbledon experience.
“I’m super happy to be in the final and play one more time here,” she said.
“It was different conditions; I couldn’t play aggressive tennis and couldn’t go so hard for my shots, but I was happy to win.”
“From Wimbledon, I gained a lot of experience, and I want to come on court for the final and enjoy the moment,” Rybakina added.
A brilliant performance 👏
Elena Rybakina is heading to the #AO2023 women’s singles final!@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/w7vEytvVdX
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2023
On the other hand, Sabalenka defeated Poland’s Magda Linette to reach her first major final.
The 24-year-old won 7-6 (7-1), 6-2, against the unseeded 30-year-old to continue her 10-match winning streak after lifting the Adelaide title.
Linette, who had never been past the third round of a Grand Slam tournament before, was the underdog in the tie, and the Belarusian made sure it remained that way.
Sabalenka had six aces, won 71 points, and took three break points in a match that lasted for one hour and 53 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena.
Stunning, Sabalenka 🙌
The No.5 seed will play Elena Rybakina for the women’s singles title!@SabalenkaA • @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/gjjCFJZ0SD
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2023
After losing three times in major semi-finals, the world No. 5 was relieved to have secured a final berth.
“I wouldn’t say I started really well but, in the tie-break, I found my rhythm, trusted myself, and started going for my shots,” said Sabalenka.
Rybakina (22nd seed) will face Sabalenka (5th seed) in the final of the women’s singles event at the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, January 28, meaning there will be a new winner in Melbourne.
Elena Rybakina’s victory over Victoria Azarenka means there will be a new #AusOpen women’s singles champion at #AO2023. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Mw3dyEiqjh
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 26, 2023
