After semi-final defeats in Wimbledon (2021) and at the US Open (2021, 2022), it is Sabalenka’s first final in a Grand Slam tournament. In Melbourne she had previously been in the round of 16 twice (2021, 2022). This year she has already won the title in Adelaide and has not lost a set in ten games won.
Surprise semi-finalist Linette made a dream debut with a zero break and a 2-0 lead in front of the pioneers of women’s professional tennis around Billie Jean King, who had been honored before the games. However, Sabalenka managed the rebreak to make it 2:2, she was then 6:5 and 30:0 before winning the set. Thanks to the help of the edge of the net, the Pole was able to save herself in the tie-break. There, Sabalenka didn’t give her opponent a chance with powerful shots and converted her second set ball to 7:1. Sabalenka has won all four of her tiebreaks this season.
Clear conditions in the second sentence
The eleven-time WTA tournament winner took this momentum with her, managed breaks to make it 2: 1 and 4: 1 and thus laid the foundation for winning the match early on. Linette acted too error-prone and could no longer match her level of performance. That only changed briefly when, standing with her back to the wall, she was able to fend off three match points on her own serve. After that, Sabalenka served and converted her fourth match point after 1:33 hours.
“I’m super happy that I was able to win here against a strong player. I didn’t start well, then found my rhythm at the beginning of the tie-break, I showed excellent tennis there,” said Sabalenka afterwards.
Rybakina “happy and proud”
Wimbledon champion Rybakina is also in the Melbourne final for the first time. The 23-year-old Kazakh prevailed against Azarenka 7: 6 (7/4) 6: 3. Moscow-born Rybakina, who has been playing for Kazakhstan since 2018, also won the second duel on the tour with Asarenka. “I’m very happy and proud, it was an incredible atmosphere,” said the winner. Azarenka failed to make it to the final at Melbourne Park for the third time, having won the title there in 2012 and 2013.
The two players met each other in the Rod Laver Arena on an equal footing from the start, Asarenka got the first advantage with the break to 3:2, but Rybakina immediately equalized and she took her opponent’s one more time to make it 5:3 serve off. Rybakina missed the first set point with a weak volley, which allowed Asarenka to pass. That made the 33-year-old come up again, who made it 4: 5, but then left a 40: 0 lead unused at 5: 5. As a result, the decision had to be made in the tie-break, where Rybakina was the better player and had the upper hand 7:4 after exactly one hour.
In the second set, Rybakina missed a breakball at the beginning, but shortly afterwards used another in a zero game to make it 2-1. The preliminary decision was made, the former leader Asarenka looked devastated and lost her serve again to make it 2:5. Rybakina’s hand then shook when served, but she ended the match with another break after 1:41 hours.
Sabalenka leads 3-0 in head-to-head
From the paper form, Sabalenka, seeded number five, is favored in the final. She also has all three clashes with the ranked 25. Rybakina won, but only in the third set in 2019 in Wuhan and 2021 in Abu Dhabi and Wimbledon. Regardless of the outcome of the final, she will improve to second place in the ranking, Rybakina is sure to make it into the top ten for the first time.
Australian Open Women’s Singles in Melbourne
(Australia, 76.5 Mio. Dollars, Hardcourt)
