Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Elena Rybakina said she was delighted to reach the level shown by rivals Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek again, having beaten the dominant duo of women’s tennis on the way to claiming her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Kazakh dismantled world number one Sabalenka 6‑4, 4‑6, and 6‑4 in the final on Rod Laver Arena to add another major trophy to her cabinet following her breakthrough Wimbledon triumph in 2022.
It followed a fluent quarter-final victory over Swiatek and left her on a hot streak of 14 wins from her last 15 matches, a run that includes her WTA Finals triumph last year.
Rybakina arrived at the year’s opening Grand Slam having lost in the Brisbane International tune-up tournament quarter-finals, and while she did not believe she was unbeatable, she said her Melbourne success stemmed from steady improvement.
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