Elena Rybakina confirms rise by beating Aryna Sabalenka to win Indian Wells

20.03.2023 - 02:51 theguardian.com

Even after finally breaking through at the top of the sport by winning Wimbledon last summer, Elena Rybakina’s path remained complicated.

Her ranking was still low, she faced tough draws and dispiriting court assignments all while trying to come to terms with her new status as a grand slam champion.

She struggled to perform. This season, though, everything is coming together. On Sunday, Rybakina bolstered her status as one of the very best players in the world by winning her first WTA 1000 title in Indian Wells.

Two days after she dismantled Iga Swiatek, the world No 1 and defending champion, Rybakina remained composed in the face of suffocating pressure to overcome Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (11), 6-4.

Sporting win Elena Rybakina Iga Swiatek Australia India Melbourne

Petra Kvitova beat Elena Rybakina 7-6(14) 6-2 to claim the Miami Open, her 30th career title. Victory improves Kvitova's world ranking to No. 10, and came as something of a surprise after a dominant run by her opponent.

Petra Kvitova shocks Elena Rybakina to win Miami Open final in straight sets

For almost the entirety of Petra Kvitova’s storied 17-year career, the hard courts of the Miami Open have played slowly in humid Floridian weather, conditions entirely unsuited to the best fast-court player of her generation. In her 12 previous Miami Open appearances, she had never passed the quarter-finals.

Petra Kvitova defeats Elena Rybakina for 1st Miami Open title

Fifteenth-seeded veteran Petra Kvitova, in her 13th appearance at the Miami Open, finally won her first crown here, upsetting seventh-seed Elena Rybakina on Saturday with a marathon tiebreaker in a 7-6 (14), 6-2 win.

Petra Kvitova upsets Elena Rybakina for women's Miami Open title

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Twelfth-seeded veteran Petra Kvitova, in her 13th appearance at the Miami Open, finally won her first crown here, upsetting seventh-seeded Elena Rybakina on Saturday with a marathon tiebreaker in a 7-6 (14), 6-2 win.

Elena Rybakina hits 10 aces in Miami for 12th straight win

MIAMI GARDENS: Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina extended her winning streak to 12 matches by delivering 10 aces — her fourth consecutive outing with at least that many — in a 6-3, 6-0 victory over 25th-seeded Martina Trevisan on Tuesday in the Miami Open quarterfinals.

Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina backed for Indian Wells-Miami Open Sunshine Double by Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova has backed Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina to complete the 'Sunshine Double' as both players look to add Miami Open titles to their respective Indian Wells triumphs. Alcaraz dispatched Daniil Medvedev in impressive fashion to claim the former earlier in the month and faces Tommy Paul in the fourth round in Miami after breezing through the first two rounds. Ad Rybakina triumphed at Indian Wells after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final and is into the quarter-finals of the Miami Open after beating Elise Martins to set up a match with Martina Trevisan.