(CNN) Elena Rybakina defeated planet No. 1 Iga Sviatek in straight sets on Friday to attain the Indian Wells final and continue her new kind this season.
Sviatek had no answer to the Wimbledon champion’s potent hitting as the Pole was outclassed six-two six-two in an hour and 16 minutes.
With the win, Rybakina became the 1st player to win a number of matches against the reigning planet No. 1 due to the fact 2019, right after defeating Sviatek in the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year.
“With Igo, it is a tough, definitely tough opponent, but when I play this effectively and all the things fits collectively – for the reason that nowadays I played some moments, I would say, at the highest level – [these are] “Moments exactly where you can really feel, okay, I can beat anybody if I generally play like this,” Rybakina mentioned right after the win.
“But that is the objective, you by no means really feel wonderful and fantastic just about every match. I believe it was definitely superior from me nowadays.”
The two players met in the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year.
The planet quantity ten was dominant from the start off, breaking Sviatek at the 1st chance to win the 1st set in just 36 minutes.
Rybakina then raced to a five- lead in the second, ahead of Sviatek held and fought back to somewhat stem the tide, but the Kazakh held on to win, becoming the 1st player from her nation to attain a singles final in tournament history. Rybakina was born in Russia, but has represented Kazakhstan due to the fact 2018
“If you landed on the planet tonight and heard No. 1 play, it is Rybak,” former qualified tennis player Pam Shriver wrote on Twitter.
Sviatek later revealed that she has been nursing a rib injury and “does not really feel one hundred% physically,” despite the fact that she nevertheless plans to play at the Miami Open subsequent week.
Honestly, I have not played with a lot of injuries,” she added. “It really is definitely a new predicament for me. The final time I played with an injury, the only tournament I try to remember was Roland Garros in 2019. So I was fairly young.
“It really is a entire distinctive level now. So I really feel like when you go to these matches you have to be one hundred% prepared.”
Rybakina will now face Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenko for the Indian Wells title in a replay of this year’s Australian Open final.