Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina will seek her second grand slam title in the Australian Open final after a stirring victory over dual-champion Victoria Azarenka on Thursday night.
After a tense opening set, the 23-year-old raised her level to claim an entertaining semi-final 7-6 , 6-3 in 1 hour and 41 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
The three majors since Barty’s retirement have been shared between her and world No.1 Iga Swiatek and a second major title would further burnish Rybakina’s reputation. While the Rybakina’s prodigious serve went awry late in the first set – she missed 11 consecutive first serves – she responded superbly to the strong challenge from Azarenka.
A superb backhand return at 2-2 helped the Belarusian bring up a break point, an opportunity she seized after an attractive exchange which ended with both women at the net.
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