Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina secured her spot in the Indian Wells final by defeating World No. 9 Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-4 in 1 hour and 46 minutes.
This victory marked Rybakina’s 12th consecutive win against Top 10 opponents, a streak that began in Ningbo last October, where she also claimed the title.
Facing Svitolina for the seventh time in her career, Rybakina overcame an early break in her opening service game and rallied with two breaks to clinch the first set, dominating with 19 out of 21 first-serve points.
In the second set, Rybakina surged to a 4-0 lead with a double break and navigated through some challenges before securing the win. Despite Svitolina’s resilience, saving match points in consecutive games, Rybakina closed out the match successfully.
Rybakina, now set to challenge world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final, expressed the need to elevate her performance further, despite her victory over Svitolina. The upcoming final will be a rematch of their clash in the Australian Open earlier this year and the 2023 Indian Wells final.
Rybakina and Sabalenka have a history of 16 encounters, with Sabalenka holding a slight 8-7 advantage. Notably, in final matchups, Rybakina has dominated, winning four out of five, including a streak that commenced in the 2023 Indian Wells final.
Sabalenka, determined to reverse her fortunes in finals, expressed her frustration at missed opportunities in past championship matches.
