BRISBANE (Reuters) – In the final of the Brisbane International, Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 6-0, 6-3, offering her a reality check ahead of her Australian Open title defence. This is a rematch of last year’s Melbourne title-decider.
Sabalenka, the world number two and top seed, went into the contest on a 15-match winning streak in Australia but was completely outplayed by Rybakina, the former Wimbledon champion.
Rybakina dominated the first set, wrapping it up in 24 minutes with three breaks of serve while Sabalenka committed 12 unforced errors. The Kazakh player took an early lead in the second set, eventually securing her sixth career title when Sabalenka hit another forehand wide.
During the on-court presentation ceremony, Rybakina praised Sabalenka for her performance and expressed hope for another meeting in Melbourne. She acknowledged the tough competition between them and their mutual improvement through it.
Although their head-to-head record was even last year, with two wins each, Sabalenka was able to win the match that mattered most by claiming her first Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka, laughing, congratulated Rybakina, acknowledging her opponent’s strong performance. She humorously blamed her team for the 6-0, 6-3 score and expressed hope for improvement at the upcoming Australian Open.
In the men’s final, Danish top seed Holger Rune will face off against Bulgarian former world number three Grigor Dimitrov. The Australian Open is set to begin next Sunday and run until Jan. 28.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by William Mallard)
