When Elena Rybakina got to No.1 by winning her quarterfinal match at the US Open, the Kazakh made her overall ambitions clear. The new World No.1 had her sights set on a third career Major at Flushing Meadows, and she went one step further in that mission, as she overcame home favorite, Coco Gauff, in a tight three-set match. The Kazakh did not have it easy in the match, as the American gave her a run for her money right up to the last game.
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“It was such a close third set, and I feel like I got a little bit lucky on her serve. A couple of deep returns, one mistake from her, and it went quickly my way,” said Rybakina in her on-court interview. “I know you guys wanted Coco to win, and I think it was a real battle. As I said, a few moments really went my way, and in the end, I was just trying to still be focused, try to stay aggressive, and somehow won the match.”
Having split the first two sets, the third set was a close-fought battle between Rybakina and Gauff. Even though the set remained on serve, it was the second seed who had break points in the fifth game but could not capitalize on any of them. However, in the eighth game, she managed a few deep returns, and at 30-30, Gauff made two unforced errors to hand the break to Rybakina. This is where frustrations got the better of the American who hit her hand with her racket.
Serving for the match at 5-3, it was Rybakina who faltered as Gauff went for her shots, and Rybakina’s forehand misfired, giving the American the break back. With a moment like that, all of Rybakina’s momentum could have gone, but the Kazakh composed herself during the changeover and played a terrific return game. She hit a winner and made Gauff make errors on her reliable backhand shot to go 15-40 up and set up a match point.
There was to be no miraculous comeback from Gauff, as she hit an overhead smash long, handing Rybakina the victory. The match was close, and Rybakina was not wrong in highlighting the key break point opportunities, as the Kazakh converted four of the six break points she got to secure the win.
For Gauff, hitting herself with a racket has been a recurring scene this year. During her Italian Open final against Elina Svitolina, Gauff was seen repeatedly hitting her head with the racket as she vented out her frustration. However, the American used an alternative way to show her emotions on court at the US Open, choosing to hit her head with the tennis ball a few times during her third-round match against Cristina Bucsa.
As for Rybakina, she was in her usual cool and collected self till the end, which saw her overcome Gauff’s challenge and set up for a final against Aryna Sabalenka.
Elena Rybakina to Face Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open Final
In a repeat of the Australian Open final this year, Rybakina will go up against Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final. While it was the Kazakh who won that battle in Melbourne, the Belarusian will be keen to get some payback in New York, where she is going for her third straight title.
Both players had come into the US Open with lingering questions about their form and fitness. While Sabalenka had seen a dip in her form since March, her early losses in Toronto and Cincinnati led many experts to reject the notion that she was a title favorite. On the other hand, Rybakin’s participation in New York itself was in doubt, as the Kazakh had suffered a bad leg injury during the Cincinnati Open and had limited time to recover.
Both players weathered the storms in their own way, with Sabalenka beating her early-round opponents with ease and her usual aggressive flair. She faced a tough challenge from Linda Noskova in the quarterfinals, whom she had to beat in a third-set tiebreak, but the Belarusian was in her full flow against Jessica Pegula in the semifinal.
Rybakina, on the other hand, got four straight-set victories to start her campaign, including a win over Naomi Osaka. However, in both the quarterfinal and the semifinal, the Kazakh came back from a set down to beat Zheng Qinwen and Gauff. It is Sabalenka who leads the head-to-head 10-7, but given Rybakina’s form, the final could be a cracking contest to end the women’s Grand Slam season.