Rybakina stuns Sabalenka in AO final

MELBOURNE – Elena Rybakina took revenge over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to win a nail-biting Australian Open final on Saturday and clinch her second Grand Slam title.

The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in two hours 18 minutes.

It was payback after the Belarusian Sabalenka won the 2023 final between two of the hardest hitters in women’s tennis.

The ice-cool Rybakina, 26, who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022.

“Hard to find the words now,” said Rybakina, and then addressed her beaten opponent to add: “I know it is tough, but I hope we play many more finals together.”

It was more disappointment in a major final for Sabalenka, who won the US Open last year for the second time but lost the French Open and Melbourne title deciders.

Meanwhile, history is on the line in the men’s final on Sunday with tennis gladiators Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz each vowing no surrender.

The 38-year-old Djokovic is striving to win a record-extending 11th Melbourne crown and with it a 25th major title. The 22-year-old Alcaraz has already won six Grand Slams and is bidding to become the youngest man to complete a career sweep of all four majors.