Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina set up blockbuster Indian Wells final

INDIAN WELLS – Aryna Sabalenka believes she is more than ready for an Indian Wells title showdown with Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina, after roaring past Linda Noskova on March 13.

Sabalenka beat 14th-ranked Czech Noskova 6-3, 6-4 and Rybakina downed Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-4 to set up a mouth-watering rematch of their Melbourne final.

Rybakina also beat Sabalenka in the 2023 championship match at Indian Wells – where the Belarusian star has come up empty in two prior trips to the final.

“I want that match,” said Sabalenka, who has been in imperious form in the California desert in 2026.

“It feels great. I’ve lost a couple of finals here, so I’ll make sure that I’m more than ready on Sunday. I’ll bring my best tennis and this is the year.”

She fired 37 winners with 11 aces, applying relentless pressure from the baseline against Noskova.

The world No. 1 seized early control, breaking for a 3-1 lead, and then the Czech’s inconsistent serving – including a double fault – handed the Belarusian another break for 5-1.

Noskova briefly halted the momentum by breaking back when Sabalenka served for the set, only the second time that the top seed had dropped her serve during the tournament.

Sabalenka, 27, quickly regrouped when she served again at 5-3, sealing the opener with an ace, while Noskova won just half of the points behind her own serve.

A break in the opening game of the second set proved enough for Sabalenka to seal the victory over the 21-year-old Noskova, who had just one chance to break back but could not convert.

“I think I really played great tennis,” Sabalenka said. “I was serving well. I was playing well. I like the way I put her under pressure on her serve.”

Rybakina, who is set to rise one spot to No. 2 in the world on March 16, had too much firepower for ninth-ranked Svitolina, who was coming off a three-set win over two-time champion Iga Swiatek.

The 26-year-old recouped an early break in a tight first set and seized control with a break for 6-5, her steady pressure on Svitolina’s serve provoking too many mistakes from the Ukrainian.

The Kazakh then broke Svitolina twice on the way to a 4-0 lead in the second set.

The experienced Svitolina, 31, kept on grinding, saving a match point on her own serve then saving another on the way to a break for 5-3 as she won three straight games.

But Rybakina made no mistake as she served for the match a second time, nabbing her 12th straight victory over top-10 opponents.

“Not my best performance, but I’m super happy to win this match and be in the final again,” Rybakina said.

Although she trails Sabalenka 8-7 in their career head-to-head, she has won their last two meetings, in the title match of the 2025 WTA Finals and at the Australian Open in January, when she claimed her second Grand Slam crown.

Despite those recent successes, Rybakina was expecting a battle on March 15.

“We played so many times and I think it all depends on close moments, which we usually have – whoever steps in, plays more aggressive, more solid,” she said.

“It’s going to be a difficult match. We’re both going to try to serve well, that’s for sure, put pressure... we will see what’s going to happen.” AFP, REUTERS