Rybakina Queen of Indian Wells. She beats Sabalenka and climbs to number 7

Seven weeks to take revenge for the most bitter defeat of his career. Elena Rybakina took her revenge against Aryna Sabalenka, beating her in a tense and spectacular final of the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells, California, with a score of 7-5 (11), 6-4 in 2 and 3 minutes. The Kazakh (from tomorrow number 7 in the world) got the better of the Belarusian (n.2 WTA) for the first time in her career, who in their fourth and last face-to-face, in January, had snatched the trophy from her hands Australian Open at the end of an even more hard-fought final.

Equilibrium

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From the first point of the first set, the match looked like an extension of the final in Melbourne, rather than a new challenge. Stellar level, winners to be knocked out of your chair on repeat and great balance. The first four games last 44 points. You play on the details, or on luck. The 44th point is the one with which Sabalenka signs the first break, breaking the festival of cinema shots with a lucky forehand hit. Rybakina remains present and signs the counter-break four games later, everything seems to have remained the same, but that’s where the tension begins to creep into the exchanges. The Kazakh has the first set point at 6-5, but she eats up a point already made, thus starting the craziest of tie-breaks. It starts with the most beautiful exchange of the set, closed by a sumptuous backhand down the line from Sabalenka. It’s an illusion, from that moment on you play who makes the least mistakes. Sabalenka collects double faults and gives Rybakina another five balls in the set. The Kazakh does everything in order not to materialize them, yet she takes home the first game for 13-11 after 1h 19 ‘, two set points canceled for her opponent and many uncertainties forgiven in the decisive points.

Break

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When the second set begins and the points suddenly come back lighter, Rybakina regains all the cleanliness of her tennis as if by magic. Sabalenka, on the other hand, is dismayed, she travels slower than the game imposed by her opponent. In the first game there is an immediate break, at 3-1 the Belarusian has to work overtime in order not to double the disadvantage. Meanwhile, the facial mimicry does not speak well of her chances of winning, while on the other side of the court Rybakina remains cold and imperturbable as always (only in the hurricane of the tie-break of the first set did she allow herself to throw her racket, but also there he had done it with a certain grace). The second Kazakh break comes before the penultimate change of sides. Sabalenka gets up quickly, before the chair umpire prompts her, as if she wanted to end it soon. Quite the opposite: she recovers a break, makes seven consecutive points, holds her serve. But it’s already too late to react: Rybakina composes herself, she grabs the racket like she never did in the important points of this match and celebrates her first title of the season. The trophy that a year ago belonged to Iga Swiatek, number 1 that Rybakina has already defeated twice this season, belongs to her. A discreet letter of intent.