Rybakina blitzes Sabalenka to win Brisbane title

Dimitrov clinches first ATP title in over six years

FE Team | Published: January 07, 2024 22:23:49

BRISBANE, Australia, Jan 08 (Agencies): Elena Rybakina claimed her sixth career title with a 6-0, 6-3 rout of top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka to win the the Brisbane International in a perfect tune-up for the first major of 2024.
Sabalenka, who had won five of her seven previous meetings against the fourth-seeded Rybakina, had no answer Sunday to the world No.4's laser-like groundstrokes and deft touches at the net as Rybakina dominated the final and stamped her credentials as one of the favorites for the upcoming Australian Open.
Almost a year after contesting the Australian Open final, where Sabalenka beat Rybakina in a tight three-setter, the tables were turned dramatically as the 2022 Wimbledon winner broke Sabalenka three times in a one-sided first set of just 24 minutes on Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane.
The top-seeded Sabalenka finally got on the scoreboard when she broke serve in the ninth game, but Rybakina broke back immediately for a 3-1 lead in the second.
Sabalenka held serve for the first time in the match in the 11th game but it was too little too late as Rybakina nervelessly closed out the win on her first match point opportunity when the reigning Australian Open champion pushed her attacking forehand wide.
It capped a dominant week for Rybakina, who conceded just 15 games across five straight-set wins and was the 24-year-old sixth career title and first since Indian Wells last year.
"I'd like to say congrats Aryna for a great week and great season last year and hopefully we meet in Melbourne," Rybakina said. "Despite the score, it's always tough to play against you, we always push each other."
The loss ended Sabalenka's streak of 15 wins on Australian soil, including a title run in Adelaide last year before her Grand Slam breakthrough at Melbourne Park, but the world No.2 made light of a rare heavy defeat.
"I don't know where to start ... that was an interesting match, great job, thank you for those three games to at least make it look like a fight," Sabalenka said post-match. "Couple of words to my team - you did a bad job today. 6-0 6-3, that's all your fault guys.
"It is how it is. We showed some great tennis and hopefully we'll do better at the Australian Open."
The final was the the first to feature the top two seeds in Brisbane since 2015, when No. 1 Maria Sharapova held off No. 2 Ana Ivanovic in three sets.
The men's final between top-seeded Holger Rune and second-seeded Grigor Dimitrov will be played later Sunday.
Meanwhile, former world number three Grigor Dimitrov claimed his first ATP title in more than six years with a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over Danish young gun Holger Rune in the men's final of the Brisbane International on Sunday.
Dimitrov's experience and court craft won out over Rune's youthful athleticism in the men's final, an engrossing contest with plenty of high quality tennis that kept the crowd gripped for more than two hours.
The 32-year-old Bulgarian, whose game was once compared to that of Roger Federer, clinched a tight first in the tiebreak but world number eight Rune would not back down.
The Dane, who regularly found aces to get himself out of trouble, fought off a break in a 17-minute game early in the second set and saved three championship points to hold for 4-5.
Dimitrov served out to love, however, claiming the ninth title of his career, and a first since he won the ATP Tour finals in London back in November 2017, with a beautifully judged backhand at the net.
"It's been a while since I held one of these," an emotional Dimitrov said after receiving the trophy for the second time after his 2017 Brisbane triumph.
"I'm fairly tired and I'll take a few days off but I'm really happy to be in Australia. I'll keep on going and yeah, onto the next one."
“My love affair started 11 years ago in Brisbane and I think it continues.”
Dimitrov's triumph pushed him up to the 13th spot in the ATP rankings, as he tries to push for a place in the top-10 for the first time since October 2018.
It was 14th-ranked Dimitrov's ninth career title and his first since the ATP finals in 2017, the same year he won his first Brisbane title.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Rune said he is hoping to go a step further at the Australian Open, which is set to begin on January 14.
“It’s a great start to the year and we have a lot to build on. Hopefully we can go one step further at the Australian Open,” said Rune.