It was certain that the fight between Yelena Rybakina and Victoria Azarenka would be an even match. And that’s what we saw in the first set. No one expected that the Belarusian would set such a strong pace that at some point she would not be able to sustain it herself. Suddenly she managed to find new strength and provided a real thriller with the representative of Kazakhstan.
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One key break in the first set
From the first balls we could observe strong tennis performed by both Rybakina and Azarenka. However, the Kazakhstan representative played more precisely and was able to break her opponent in the first game, but she did not use any of the four break points.
Until the score was 4:4 it was a really even fight. Rybakina reached more frequent finishing shots, had more service aces, but made just as many mistakes, which Azarenka exploited without mercy. Until the sixth game, it was difficult to choose a better tennis player in the first set, there was a draw 3:3.
But the seventh and eighth games turned out to be crucial. First, Rybakina broke Azarenka, then she defended the break point herself and kept the serve, taking the lead 5:3. Later, she controlled the situation and thanks to this she managed to win the first set 6:4.
Azarenka show
But absolutely no one expected what would happen in the second set. Azarenka set a killer pace and played the ball with even more power than before. She served almost flawlessly and her return was great.
The second set went to the Belarusian with a score of 6-0. It was the best half-hour of play by the Belarusian in Miami. Rybakina was just a background. Azarenka won the maximum possible points after the first serve and after the second serve return of the Kazakh representative. Rybakina scored only five points in the entire set.
Unbelievable scenes in the deciding set
It seemed that after a brilliant set, Azarenka would maintain her dominance on the court, but she could not keep up with the pace she set for herself. She made mistakes in series – either in exchanges or when serving. She allowed Rybakina to get back into the game. The number four racket in the world regained her confidence after some good forehands and backhands.
Until the score was 2-2 in the third set, it was difficult to predict how this match would turn out. On the one hand, she was returning to Rybakin’s rhythm. On the other side of the net, Azarenka, who always knows how to find strength, played.
It looked like the fifth game would be crucial, Rybakina even pulled the break. She sent several impressive balls, but Azarenka showed tenacity. The Kazakhstan representative had as many as five break points. The Belarusian was once close to defending her serve, but on the fifth chance, luck favored Rybakina. She was leading 3:2.
With the score 5:3, 15:0 for Rybakina, everything indicated that the final for number four in the WTA rankings would be a formality. But Azarenka started playing dynamic, unpredictable tennis again. Suddenly, she won four points in a row and defended her serve. In the next game she unexpectedly broke Rybakina and led to a draw 5:5. The Belarusian won rallies in which Rybakina dominated, in which she had the balls perfectly prepared to close the rallies, but Azarenka defended in an incredible way every time.
The Belarusian won over the audience in Miami with her bravery. The fans supported her, and she repaid her with good play and managed to take the lead 6:5. But Rybakina led to a draw, winning the next one to zero, she served perfectly.
In the tie-break, she kept her serve very well and returned it equally well. She dominated Azarenka and it is safe to say that the last game of this semi-final was Rybakina’s best performance. She won it 7-2 and the whole set 7-6 and she qualified for the final in Miami.
It was a fantastic spectacle. We observed a total of 19 aces throughout the match.
In the final of the tournament, Yelena Rybakina will play against the better of the pair, Ekaterina Aleksandrova – Danielle Collins.
WTA 1000 tournament in Miami, semi-final:
Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan, 4th) – Victoria Azarenka (Belarus, 32nd) 6:4, 0:6, 7:6 (2).
2024-03-28 22:14:00
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