Elena Rybakina confirms rise by beating Aryna Sabalenka to win Indian Wells

  • Epic tiebreak puts Kazakh on way to win 7-6 (11), 6-4
  • Rybakina beats world’s top two players in tournament

Even after finally breaking through at the top of the sport by winning Wimbledon last summer, Elena Rybakina’s path remained complicated. Her ranking was still low, she faced tough draws and dispiriting court assignments all while trying to come to terms with her new status as a grand slam champion. She struggled to perform.

This season, though, everything is coming together. On Sunday, Rybakina bolstered her status as one of the very best players in the world by winning her first WTA 1000 title in Indian Wells. Two days after she dismantled Iga Swiatek, the world No 1 and defending champion, Rybakina remained composed in the face of suffocating pressure to overcome Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (11), 6-4.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/WoRipCq
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