The Kazakh Rybakina swept Swiatek, world number 1, in the Indian Wells semis

the kazakh Elena Rybakina, reigning Wimbledon championoverwhelmed the Polish Iga Swiatek, the world number one, this Friday and qualified for her first final of a WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells.

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Rybakina defeated an unrecognizable Swiatek, the defending champion from Indian Wells, by a resounding 6-2, 6-2 in just 76 minutes before the stunned crowd on Center Court in Indian Wells (California).

Rybakina, born in Russia but representing Kazakhstan, will face Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus on Sunday for the title in search of revenge for her loss in January in the Australian Open final.

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“I didn’t expect to play so well today,” admitted a beaming Rybakina, who needed almost three hours the day before to defeat the Czech Karolina Muchova.

“Yesterday was a very tough game and (against Swiatek) I had nothing to lose. I think I played one of the best games this year. I hope to play like that on Sunday,” he said.

Swiatek, who is celebrating her 50th week leading the WTA ranking with an iron fist, offered one of her most disappointing performances of the season against a rival who had already eliminated her in the fourth round of Australia, the first grand slams of the year.
That was one of the only three defeats Swiatek had suffered so far in his 19 games this year.

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In Indian Wells, the Warsaw jewel was cruising towards her goal of retaining the trophy, a feat only achieved by Martina Navratilova in 1991.
In his tour he had not given up a single set, not even against Bianca Andreescu and Emma Raducanu, US Open winners like her. Against Rybakina, however, there was no trace of Swiatek’s relentless, fast-paced tennis.

superior in everything

The Kazakh, number 10 in the world ranking, not only exploited her powerful serve to perfection, with 7 ‘aces’ to 1 from Swiatek, but she was at her best level on the return, breaking the Polish serve at the first opportunity .

That first blow was a cold water jug ​​for the world number one, who has completed all her matches of the year in just two sets.

Off and crestfallen from the beginning, Swiatek was unable to react at any time to Rybakina’s barrages and delivered the second set defending her serve only once.

Amid tensions in women’s tennis stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Indian Wells will experience a final on Sunday between a player born in Moscow, Rybakina, and another in Belarus, Sabalenka.

The world number two has so far prevailed in all four of her meetings with Rybakina, including the January final in Melbourne.

“It was a very close game in Australia,” Rybakina recalled. “We have had many battles. For now I am losing but I hope that Sunday changes and if I play like today I think I have all the chances“.

AFP