Sabalenka sets summit clash with home favourite Gauff in Miami

Miami: Aryna Sabalenka scored a dominant straight-sets 6-4, 6-3 victory in Miami semifinal against Elena Rybakina and moved one win away from the coveted Sunshine Double.

The win, her 10th in their tour-leading 17 WTA Tour, sends her to a second straight final in Miami. Coincidentally, Sabalenka is the first player to reach consecutive Miami Open finals since Rybakina in 2023 and 2024, and the first to do so as World No. 1 since Serena Williams from 2013 to 2015.

At 4-5 in the opening set, Sabalenka, as champions do, broke Rybakina with a combination punch of a cross-court backhand followed by a ferocious overhead.

Set two was more routine with a dominant 4-0 start, until Sabalenka eventually served it out at love, ending with a T-serve followed with a howitzer cross-court forehand. Sabalenka roared and signed the camera lens with her nickname: “Tiger.”

Sabalenka is the fourth player this century to reach the final at her first four WTA events of a season, joining Martina Hingis (2001), Serena Williams (2003) and Victoria Azarenka (2012).

Sabalenka will face anlther prominent rival, Coco Gauff, who after conceding an early break went on to win 12 of the final 13 games against Karolina Muchova 6-1, 6-1 to enter first-ever Miami Open final.

If she wants to go one step further and claim back-to-back titles at the event, while becoming the first player to complete the Sunshine Double since Iga Swiatek in 2022, Sabalenka will look to replicate what she did against Rybakina.

Gauff has faced Sabalenka 12 times, most recently at the Madrid final, Roland Garros final and WTA Finals Riyadh group stage all in 2025, with the American winning in France. Sabalenka and Gauff are level at six wins apiece.

IANS