Sports Desk
MELBOURNE: Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina has clinched another shot at a major title after storming to the Australian Open final where she will face off Belarusian fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday.
Both of the women came through their respective semifinals in straight sets as Rybakina battled past two-time champion Victoria Azarenka, winning 7-6 6-3 in only an hour and 40 minutes, while Sabalenka ended the dream run of Poland’s unseeded Magda Linette beating her by 7-6 6-2 to ensure her spot in the grand slam final.
The 23-year-old Rybakina has now made it to two of the last three major finals after her victorious Wimbledon run last summer and is likely to be a force to reckon with on the WTA Tour for many years to come.
Clash of the titans
Saturday’s final is expected to be no less than the clash of titans between the biggest hitters on Tour who simply overpowered their semifinal opponents.
If everything goes smoothly, the Moscow-born Kazakh’s game is almost unstoppable and a marvel to watch. As long as she can maintain the consistency to go with the power, her ferocious serve and booming groundstrokes allow her to dictate points with ease.
Meanwhile, another powerful-hitter Sabalenka, who lost her three previous grand slam semifinals, also seems to be fully determined to put an end to that run.
