Aryna Sabalenka saved a match point on the way to a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8\/6) victory over Elena Rybakina on Sunday to claim a long-awaited first Indian Wells title.<\/p>\n
Sabalenka ended a frustrating run of finals futility against Rybakina, who had won their last four title clashes starting with a triumph at Indian Wells in 2023 and including a nail-biter at the Australian Open in January.<\/p>\n
Sabalenka rallied from a break down in the second set and fought off a match point trailing 5-6 in the tiebreaker before finally gaining the longed-for title — and a healthy measure of revenge.<\/p>\n
“Thanks God I got this trophy,” said Sabalenka, who lost to Russian teen Mirra Andreeva in last year’s final.<\/p>\n
She had appeared on her way with a break for 2-1 in the third set. But Rybakina piled on the return pressure to break back for 5-5 and fought off five break points in the next game.<\/p>\n
Deflated but determined, Sabalenka held at love to force the tiebreaker, rallying from 3-5 down before saving match point with a stunning backhand winner. She won the next point on Rybakina’s serve and delivered another massive serve herself to seal it.<\/p>\n
“On that five-all game, I was really upset each time I would miss her second serve,” Sabalenka said. “I felt like I had a lot of opportunities in that game, which I didn’t use. I didn’t feel my best, for sure, after that game.<\/p>\n
“But what I’m happy with is that in the next one I was able to pull out great serves to get that game and get into the tiebreak.”<\/p>\n
Sabalenka said that the “boiling” temperature on court had her “dying” in the tiebreaker, but she could see that Rybakina was affected, too.<\/p>\n
“So I was trying to push myself basically to the limit,” Sabalenka said. “I’m super happy that in those last three points of the match, I was able to pull out really great tennis and get the win.”<\/p>\n
The latest clash between the big-serving, big-hitting rivals was again a match of razor-thin margins.<\/p>\n
Rybakina converted the only break point of the opening set for a 4-2 lead and backed up the break with a love game.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t until she served for the set that Rybakina lost two points in a service game. But after falling behind 0-30 she powered back, giving herself a set point with an ace and pocketing the set when Sabalenka’s backhand down the line slipped wide.<\/p>\n
A double-fault on break point in the opening game of the second set left Sabalenka in a world of trouble.<\/p>\n
‘Big drop’<\/p>\n
But despite her obvious frustration Sabalenka dug in, winning the next four games to take a 4-1 lead.<\/p>\n
She broke Rybakina at love to level the set at 1-1 and saved two more break points in a marathon third game.<\/p>\n
Rybakina, her forehand errors rising along with the desert heat, double-faulted on break point to hand Sabalenka a 3-1 lead, Sabalenka holding with ease to make it 4-1 before Rybakina stopped the rot.<\/p>\n
Sabalenka had to fend off a break point for 5-2 and saved another one with an ace as she served out the set.<\/p>\n
“I think the first set I played really well, and I was much more with the energy. Second set, big drop,” Rybakina said. “Then in the third, I think for both of us was quite difficult.”<\/p>\n
Sabalenka will now head into her Miami Open title defense aiming to complete the “Sunshine Double.”<\/p>\n
Rybakina will arrive in Miami ranked second in the world, climbing one spot to overtake Poland’s Iga Swiatek.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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