Miami (AFP) – World number one and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka subdued second-ranked rival Elena Rybakina 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday to book a Miami Open title clash with American Coco Gauff. Sabalenka, who fell to Rybakina in the Australian Open final before turning the tables on the Kazakh in the Indian Wells title match earlier this month, broke the big-serving Rybakina twice in each set to come out on top in the blockbuster semi-final and keep her bid for the “Sunshine Double” of Indian Wells and Miami on track.
Men’s world number two Jannik Sinner, who like Sabalenka lifted his first Indian Wells title two weeks ago, also advanced, dominating American Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 6-2 to reach the men’s semi-finals. Their victories mean both the ATP and WTA could see a “Sunshine Double” in the same year for the first time since Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka swept the two prestigious hardcourt tournaments back in 2016.
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Sabalenka, who had to save a match point in overcoming Rybakina in the Indian Wells final, applied ruthless pressure on Rybakina’s serve while delivering a sterling service performance that featured nine aces — including four in a row across the seventh and ninth games of the opening set. “I think I did everything right,” the Belarusian said.
Sabalenka seized the first break for a 3-1 lead in the opening. Rybakina broke back, but Sabalenka broke again to pocket the set and took control in the second with a break for 2-0 in a game which Rybakina led 40-0. Trailing 0-4, Rybakina clawed back a break for 4-1 but Sabalenka wouldn’t flinch again. Rybakina saved one match point on her own serve before Sabalenka served it out with a love game punctuated by a fierce forehand winner.
It was just one of the commanding victories at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, on Thursday. Four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner needed just 71 minutes to dispatch Tiafoe and set up a semi-final meeting with fourth-ranked German Alexander Zverev — who swept past 19th-ranked Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 6-2 in just 65 minutes.
Fourth-ranked Gauff, who had needed three sets in each of her prior four matches, overwhelmed Czech Karolina Muchova 6-1, 6-1 to secure her place in Saturday’s women’s final. Gauff surrendered a break on a double fault in the opening game against Muchova then won the next 10 games. She broke Muchova again to finish the match after 89 minutes, booking her final berth less than three weeks after she retired from her third-round match at Indian Wells with a nerve issue affecting her left arm.
“I think I feel the improvements are happening — especially with my forehand — I was happy with how it’s been this whole tournament,” Gauff said. Sinner stretched his ATP Masters 1000 set win streak to 30, having not dropped a set at the level since last October in Shanghai. He broke Tiafoe to open the match and was off and running, dropping just nine points on his serve in the match.
Sinner, the 2024 Miami champion, fired 14 aces and 33 winners in all against 15 unforced errors. “It was a good serving day for sure,” said Sinner, who is vying to become the first man to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same year since Roger Federer in 2017. He’ll face a familiar semi-final foe in Zverev, having beaten the German in straight sets in the same round at Indian Wells. “Tomorrow will be the toughest test,” Zverev acknowledged. “I’m looking forward to it.”
© 2024 AFP
