Once again, the fourth-ranked Elena Rybakina is set to face the second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in an attempt to avenge her loss to the Belarusian in the Australian Open final a year ago.
The pair, along with world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, make up the new "Big Three" in women's tennis, and their upcoming Brisbane International final on January 7 promises to be an exciting clash between two players full of talent.
Rybakina showcased an impressive serving performance on January 6, securing her spot in the title decider. The Russian-born Kazakh delivered eight aces against Czech teenager Linda Noskova in a convincing 6-3, 6-2 victory, breaking her opponent once in the first set and twice in the second.
Having won Wimbledon in 2022, Rybakina has only dropped 12 games en route to the final, maintaining a flawless serve. This serves as ideal preparation for the Australian Open scheduled from January 14-28, where she faced a three-set defeat against Sabalenka in 2023.
Expressing her surprise at her exceptional performance this week, Rybakina, the second seed, mentioned being sick before arriving in Brisbane. She stated, "It's an amazing start to the year for me."
In her semi-final, Sabalenka defeated compatriot Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-4, securing her place in the final. The world No. 2 has yet to drop a set, but has lost 15 games in her journey till now.
In their head-to-head encounters, Rybakina has been on the losing side in five out of seven matches against Sabalenka. Most of their matchups, except for two, went to three sets, including the 2023 Australian Open final.
After her victory, Rybakina expressed her intention to watch their upcoming match and strive to give her best in the final, irrespective of her opponent. She said, "Hopefully it's going to be a great battle."
Sabalenka, on the other hand, is eagerly anticipating another significant clash with Rybakina.
"I love matches against Elena. It's always high quality. Usually enjoyable for people to watch," she stated.
The 25-year-old, with a 15-match winning streak in Australia, is looking forward to what she hopes will be a great battle in the upcoming final.
