By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, October 6, 2023
Rybakina ripped 12 aces defusing world No. 1 Sabalenka 7-5, 6-2 to reach her fifth WTA 1000 semifinal of the season in Beijing.
Photo credit: Emmanuel Wong/Getty
In a blockbuster clash of power players, Elena Rybakina pulled the plug on Aryna Sabalenka.
Rybakina ripped 12 aces defusing world No. 1 Sabalenka 7-5, 6-2 to reach her fifth WTA 1000 semifinal of the season in Beijing.
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In a calm performance of poise and power, Rybakina posted her fourth victory over a world No. 1 this season after defeating former No. 1 Iga Swiatek three times.
"I played really well today, served really well, so really happy with my performance today," Rybakina said in her on-court interview. "It's always tough battles against Aryna and I always enjoy to play against her."
With the win, Rybakina improves to 44-12 on the season, including a perfect 5-0 in WTA 1000 quarterfinals. Rybakina will face a familiar foe, Liudmila Samsonova, for a spot in the Beijing final.
The lone unseeded quarterfinalist at the China Open, Samsonova swept 13th-seeded Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 to charge into the semifinals.
Samsonova spent nearly three hours on court stopping Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in the round of 16, but wasted no time sending Ostapenko packing.
Saturday's semifinals will feature two strong servers. Samsonova smacked seven aces and won 21 of 23 first-serve points today against one of the game's most dangerous returners. Samsonova is 3-0 lifetime vs. Rybakina, including a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Rybakina in the Montreal semifinals in August.
"It’s always tough to play against Luda and for now I wasn’t really successful," Rybakina said. "I’ll try to do my best and of course recover and hopefully I’m gonna play tomorrow the same as I did today."
The fifth-seeded Rybakina avenged a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss to Sabalenka in the Australian Open final scoring her second straight win over the Belarusian. Rybakina was a 7-6(11), 6-4 victor over Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final last March for her first win in five meetings in their rivalry.
In a brilliant and sometime breathtaking Australian Open final, a fierce Sabalenka subdued Rybakina to capture her maiden major title with audacious shotmaking and unbreakable self belief.
Today, Rybakina played cleaner, calmer tennis.
The 11th game was the turning point.
Deadlocked at 5-all, Sabalenka double faulted to face break point.
The top seed slammed a forehand winner to save it but then netted a forehand off her back foot to face another break point. Rybakina had a good look at a forehand return but sailed it long.
A sloppy stretch continued as Sabalenka double faulted for the second time in the game and fifth overall. Still, Rybakina could not capitalize on the gift sending another forehand long.
The Australian Open champion withstood severe pressure saving a fourth break point. But on the 20th point of the longest game of the match, Rybakina drew another error for the fifth break point. A rattled Sabalenka missed a backhand down the line as the patient Rybakina broke for 6-5.
Eight of Sabalenka’s 12 unforced errors in the set came in that pivotal 11th game.
Serving for the set, Rybakina pumped her fifth ace down the T for double set point. When Sabalenka scattered a forehand return, Rybakina took the opening set in 58 minutes. Rybakina won three more points—43 to 40—in the opening set.
Serving first to open the second set, Sabalenka stabilized through four games.
The US Open finalist stumbled in an error-filled fifth game. Sabalenka could not keep the ball between the lines, giving a love break and 3-2 lead to Rybakina.
Given her stellar serving, that break was really all Rybakina needed to close a powerful performance.
A focused Rybakina started and ended the sixth game with aces—by then she’d hit 10 aces—consolidating for 4-2. Rybakina won two of the last four games at love.
Sabalenka spit up her eighth double fault to donate the break and a 5-2 second-set lead.
Banging her 12th ace brought Rybakina to triple match point. Rybakina roped a crosscourt forehand to close a classy performance in 94 minutes.