Rybakina survives Pegula in Australian Open semifinal

Elena Rybakina battled past Jessica Pegula to reach the Australian Open final on Thursday with the fifth seed setting up a repeat of her 2023 title match against Aryna Sabalenka, who earlier defeated Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in a politically charged semi-final.

Elena Rybakina said Thursday she was braced for another “great battle” as she plots revenge over world number one Aryna Sabalenka in a rerun of their 2023 Australian Open final.

The Kazakh fifth seed, who is targeting a second Grand Slam crown, fought her way into the title match by downing American sixth seed Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) in a 1hr 40min arm-wrestle.

The 26-year-old’s reward is a clash on Saturday against the Belarusian, who shattered her dreams three years ago by rallying from a set down to lift the trophy.

“It was a great battle and I think just in the end she played a bit better and she won that match, very deserved,” Rybakina said of the 2023 Melbourne decider.

“I want to enjoy the final and, hopefully, I’m going to serve better than today and it’s going to help me and we will see.

“But I’m so excited to play.”

Like Sabalenka, she is yet to drop a set all tournament, although Pegula went close.

After dominating the first set, it was a tense finish for Rybakina with Pegula saving three match points on her own serve then breaking as the Kazakh served for the match.

“It was such a battle. It was an epic second set. I’m really glad I managed to win it,” she said.

“I’m really proud that no matter the situation, I was leading, and then, of course, it was very tight, I still stayed there. I was fighting for each point and just happy.

“Overall, it’s a lot of positives to take. I just now need some rest.”

Moscow-born Rybakina, who defeated second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals, is trying to get back on the Grand Slam title board for the first time in three-and-a-half years after winning Wimbledon in 2022.

She has been in sizzling recent form, beating Sabalenka to win the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November and winning 19 of her last 20 matches.

Nervy ending

Dubai-based Rybakina made a statement start, holding to love, then forced a break when Pegula slapped a backhand into the net.

Pegula started to find her radar and ask more questions in the baseline rallies, but slid 3-0 behind.

A service hold boosted Pegula’s confidence and she did well to save two break points and cling on at 2-4, but it was delaying the inevitable.

Rybakina raced through the set in 32 minutes.

The writing was on the wall, with the laser-focused Kazakh winning her last 22 matches after taking the first set.

A crushing return sealed an early advantage in set two.

An agitated Pegula broke back but Rybakina’s high-powered groundstrokes proved too much and the American conceded her third break of the match immediately after.

Pegula saved three match points on serve at 3-5 then pulled off a stunning break as the jittery fifth seed was serving for the match.

It was a short-lived comeback, broken once more, but as the crowd got behind her she broke again to take it to a tiebreak.

Rybakina kept her cool to reach her third Grand Slam final.