Elena Rybakina is through to the 2024 Miami Open final after overcoming a very inspired effort from Victoria Azarenka.
The second WTA 1000 tournament of the Sunshine Double was left with only four players ahead of the semi-final matches, and Rybakina was the only one of the top four seeded players that made it to these stages.
However, even though her opponent, the 27th-seeded Azarenka wasn't among the top seeds, she was certainly the most experienced player left in the draw, having won two major titles and reaching the world no. 1 spot in her career.
The two players also know each other very well, but in their previous three matches, the Belarusian was never able to win. This time around, she also didn't start well, facing four break points in the opening game.
Still, she saved them all, and a few games later, it was Azarenka who could break her opponent's serve, with two chances to do so. But the world no. 23 couldn't use her chances, so it was Rybakina's turn.
The world no. 4 also had two break points, but in her case, she was able to use them, and that was enough for Rybakina to win the first set 6-4 and establish a lead in the match.
But then, the Kazakhstani player played the worst set of her entire tennis career. Rybakina lost a set 0-6 five times in her career before this match, but she has never won fewer points than now against Azarenka, winning only five points, one of which was the opponent's double fault.
The Belarusian had a 16-point streak during the set, and even though she was supposed to enter the third set as the player with the momentum on her side, that wasn't the case.
The fourth seed managed to consolidate and she was the first player to get to break points. On the fifth attempt, Rybakina used her chances to establish a one-break lead in the deciding set of the first semi-final match at the 2024 Miami Open.
It seemed that she would be able to easily serve out the match, as comfortable holds of serve suggested, but she then lost her serve in the game, in which she was serving to win the match.
Therefore, the match had to be decided in a tie-break, and after the previous struggles, Rybakina now controlled it to win 6-4, 0-6, 7-6(2), recording her first-ever win after losing a set 0-6.
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