The Japan Times - Rybakina keeps her cool to beat Sabalenka in tense Melbourne final

The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2hrs 18mins.

It was payback after the Belarusian Sabalenka won the 2023 final between two of the hardest hitters in women's tennis.

Rybakina, 26, who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022.

Rybakina has a reputation for being unflappable but she said she was nervous in losing the second set, even though she did not show it, and again as she served for the match.

She sealed the championship with her sixth ace of the final.

"Well, the heart definitely was beating too fast, even if maybe my face did not show it," she told local broadcasters.

"Inside was a lot of emotions."

It was more disappointment in a major final for Sabalenka, who won the US Open last year for the second time but lost the French Open and Melbourne title deciders.

She was into her fourth Australian Open final in a row and had been imperious until now.

The 27-year-old top seed had tears in her eyes at the end and draped a towel over her head to hide her feelings.

"Let's hope maybe next year will be a better year for me," Sabalenka said ruefully.

"She played an incredible match and I tried my very best. I was fighting until the very last point."

- Rybakina fights back -

With the roof on because of drizzle in Melbourne, Rybakina immediately broke serve and then comfortably held for 2-0.

Rybakina faced two break points at 4-3, but found her range with her serve to send down an ace and dig herself out of trouble, leaving Sabalenka visibly frustrated.

Rybakina looked in the zone and wrapped up the set in 37 minutes on her first set point when Sabalenka fired long.

Incredibly, it was the first set Sabalenka had dropped in 2026.

The second game of the second set was tense, Rybakina saving three break points in a 10-minute arm-wrestle.

They went with serve and the seventh game was another tussle, Sabalenka holding for 4-3 after the best rally of a cagey affair.

The tension ratcheted up and the top seed quickly forged three set points at 5-4 on the Kazakh's serve, ruthlessly levelling the match at the first chance to force a deciding set.

Sabalenka was now in the ascendancy and smacked a scorching backhand to break for a 2-0 lead, then holding for 3-0.

Rybakina, who also had not dropped a set in reaching the final, looked unusually rattled.

She reset to hold, then wrestled back the break, allowing herself the merest of smiles.

At 3-3 the title threatened to swing either way.

But a surging Rybakina won a fourth game in a row to break for 4-3, then held to put a thrilling victory within sight.

Sabalenka came into the final as favourite but Rybakina has been one of the form players on the women's tour in recent months.

She also defeated Sabalenka in the decider at the season-ending WTA Finals.

- Confidence boost -

Rybakina said her overriding emotions were relief, but also hope that she can carry her scintillating form into the rest of the season.

"It gives a lot confidence for sure," she said.

"Last year, I didn't start that well... now it's different.

"So I just hope that I can carry all this momentum and hopefully do a good job with the team and continue this way throughout the year."

Rybakina beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the last four in Melbourne.

Rybakina switched to play under the Kazakh flag in 2018 when she was a little-known 19-year-old, citing financial reasons.

Y.Mori--JT