In a demonstration in which she weighed her impressive physical power, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka He won his first Grand Slam title this Saturday, overturning an early deficit against Kazakh Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final.
Undefeated this year, Sabalenka kept winning by 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to the last Wimbledon winner and will climb three places in the WTA rankings, placing second behind Iga Swiatek, equaling the highest place in her career.
Powerful, owner of lethal blows and with the seal of her imposing roars to celebrate her points, the Belarusian tennis player had as Achilles heel some weaknesses that followed her at key moments, to the point that she accumulated three defeats in the semifinals that she had reached in Grand Blow.
But this time it was different and in his first final he overcame a nervous start, with numerous double faults, and with 51 winners he imposed his rule at Rod Laver Arena.
She enjoyed it by dropping emotionally on the blue court before hugging her team and receiving her trophy in a ceremony without a flag or anthem, since the tennis players from Belarus, an ally of Moscow, compete as neutrals for the invasion of Ukraine.
“Thanks to my team, the craziest team on the circuit. We’ve been through a lot of downturns last year, we worked very hard and you this trophy. It’s more for you than for me”, said the 24-year-old player, flustered and unable to hide an incredulous laugh.
The curious first set, pure nervousness
Both Rybakina and Sabalenka proved to be the fittest players in a tournament where many favorites defected early. The first was the leader in direct services (45), the second in winners.
And for almost two and a half hours they put on a display of strength before the Rod Laver Arena public with blows that touched 150 km/h, balls to the line, quick points, direct kicks (7 in the first 13 points) and treacherous returns that they took the rival off guard.
And that the game started with a double fault from the Belarusian, awakening the ghosts of the Sabalenka of the past, who in 2022 committed 428 double faults, 151 more than any other player. He made four more throughout the first set, in which he quickly found himself down a break after squandering a 40-0 (1-1) lead with a double fault and two deflected shots.
Instead, she had barely gotten 3 points off Rybakina’s powerful serve, until she was able to hook an energetic spike into the net in a game that ended up leveling the score. However, two double faults penalized her and Rybakina, at ease from serve, endorsed the first set against her in 2023.
rollover closure
It cost her, but Sabalenka finally began to find herself on the court, reduced her errors and found the lines with her winning shots and thus achieved the long-awaited break to go 3-1.
The advantage woke up the beast, who began to deploy his powerful shot and press every serve that Rybakina could not adjust. He missed several break points, but it was enough to take the set with two consecutive ‘aces’. The Belarusian arrived full of confidence in the final set and did the rest at 3-3. Rybakina saved two break points but on the third she literally went to the knee as she returned a blow from the Belarusian, who then finished her off with a forehand winner.
In the first Grand Slam final she played, it was difficult for her to close the championship but, on her fourth match point, a Rybakina forehand went wide and gave the title to a Sabalenka who emotionally dropped on the blue track in Melbourne.
AFP/HB
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