Elena Rybakina, the fourth seed, secured her spot in the Miami Open final for the second consecutive year after a gritty victory over Victoria Azarenka in a nail-biting tie-breaker. Despite a rough second set, the 24-year-old from Kazakhstan rallied to win 6-4, 0-6, 7-6 (7-2) against the Belarusian.
Rybakina, displaying resilience, squandered a lead of 5-3 before Azarenka leveled the match at 5-4. In the final, Rybakina will face either unseeded Danielle Collins or 14th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Last year, Rybakina fell short in the final against Petra Kvitova, as she pursued the ‘Sunshine Double’ of consecutive titles in Indian Wells and Miami. Now, she emerges as the favorite to claim the WTA 1000 prize in Saturday’s final.Rybakina’s mental fortitude, coupled with her powerful serve and agility, proved instrumental in overcoming former world number one Azarenka.
The match was a rollercoaster of momentum swings, with Rybakina claiming the first set with a crucial break, only to lose momentum entirely in the second set dominated by Azarenka. Despite facing no break points in the deciding set until she served for the match at 5-4, Rybakina showcased nerves of steel, saving a break point with an ace.
Despite Azarenka’s spirited performance and attempts to rally the crowd, Rybakina remained composed. In the tie-break, she seized control, aggressively dictating play and securing victory after 74 minutes of intense competition.
