Aryna Sabalenka secured a spot in the 2023 WTA Final semi-final by beating Elena Rybakina in a match that decided who moves on.
The match actually started on Thursday but was plagued by bad weather for much of it. Eventually, it was abandoned in the second set and finished on Friday, with Sabalenka getting the win.
They recently played at the China Open, and Rybakina won that one; however, in this one, it was the Belarusian who was on top early. She played a far more consistent game from the baseline, having about an equal amount of winners and unforced errors.
That wasn't true for Rybakina, who struggled greatly from the baseline, totaling 11 unforced errors in the opening set.
She did play much better in the second set as Sabalenka struggled with her tennis, having more unforced errors this time around. Both players actually struggled with the conditions, and neither played too well, but Rybakina was good enough to take a 5-3 lead in the second set.
That was the score when the match was postponed, and upon returning today, Rybakina closed it out. The final set was an interesting one. Both had to save break points in the opening game and did so.
Sabalenka then broke for the 3-1 lead but got broken immediately for the 3-2 lead. She then broke once more for the 4-2 lead and, this time around, actually held it.
From there, it seemed like it would be a rather simple journey to the finish line, but it wasn't. A very long final game followed as Rybakina pushed and even created some break points, but Sabalenka got herself across the finish line.
The final score was 6-2 3-6 6-3 for Sabalenka, who moved on to the semi-finals. The Belarusian finished the match with six aces, 15 double faults, 30 winners, and 36 enforced errors.
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