Miami (AFP) – World number one Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina on Wednesday booked a blockbuster semi-final at the Miami Open in a rerun of their Melbourne Grand Slam decider. Defending champion Sabalenka held off big-hitting 45th-ranked American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 6-4. World number two Rybakina beat fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula — runner-up to Sabalenka last year — 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. They will return Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium — home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins — to fight for a place in the final.
Rybakina beat Sabalenka in a nail-biting Australian Open final in January — the world number one’s only defeat in 2026 — but the Belarusian avenged it with victory in the Indian Wells final this month. “We’ve been playing a lot of matches, recently actually, and all of them have been a battle, all of them been a show,” Sabalenka told the Tennis Channel. “I’m super-excited facing her.” Sabalenka is now two wins away from completing the “Sunshine Double” of Indian Wells and Miami.
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Baptiste, playing her first WTA 1000 quarter-final, failed to convert three break points in Sabalenka’s first two service games. Sabalenka finally broke Baptiste when the American double-faulted on set point. Sabalenka gained an early break in the second, but Baptiste broke back and held confidently to level at 4-4. But as she served at 4-5 to stay in the match, the American opened with three straight double faults. Sabalenka pounced, converting her second match point with a blistering return.
“She really pushed me,” Sabalenka said. “The rhythm, the heaviness of her shots is incredible. I’m super happy that I was able to hold the pressure and to get the win.” She’ll now face a familiar foe in Rybakina, who shrugged off a slow start to post her fifth straight win over Pegula — a streak that includes a semi-final victory at the Australian Open and a quarter-final win at Indian Wells. Pegula, who won last month’s WTA title in Dubai, broke twice to jump to a 4-0 lead and took the opening set in 35 minutes.
But Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakina was finding her rhythm and broke for a 4-2 edge on the way to forcing a third set, gaining control of the decider with an opening break. “She started playing well, and I was a bit rushing and frustrated, but I’m happy that I managed to bounce back and turn it around in the second set,” said Rybakina, who is seeded third despite rising to No.2 in the world for the first time this week.
– Fils tops Paul – In the men’s draw, 28th-seeded Arthur Fils of France saved four match points on the way to a 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6) victory over 22nd-seeded American Tommy Paul. Fils trailed 6-2 in the third-set tiebreaker, saving four straight match points before prevailing in two hours and 49 minutes. “It was a dog fight and I never back down from a fight,” Fils said. “Even if I lose, it’s OK, I just fought the best that I could.” That’s the best result I’ve had in my life so far,” the 21-year-old added. He reached the semi-finals of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time, where he’ll face 21st-seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka.
Fils beat Lehecka in the quarter-finals in Doha last month. Lehecka ended the dream run of qualifier Martin Landaluce, beating the 151st-ranked Spaniard 7-6 (7/1), 7-5.
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