An anticipated power final between Sabalenka and Rybakina

(Melbourne) Aryna Sabalenka thinks she’ll be a bit nervous when she steps onto the court at Rod-Laver Arena to face Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open women’s singles final on Saturday.

After all, Sabalenka will then be competing in a first match for the singles title at a Grand Slam tournament. Rybakina is more familiar with this stage: she won Wimbledon just over six months ago.

“It’s normal to feel a little nervous. It’s a big tournament, a big final,” said Sabalenka.

“If you start trying to do something about it, it’s gonna get bigger, you know? »

Sabalenka is the tournament’s fifth seed, Rybakina is seeded 22^e. 24-year-old Sabalenka is from Belarus. Rybakina, 23, was born in Moscow and started representing Kazakhstan in 2018 when the country offered to fund her tennis career.

“For me, this time I would say it was a bit easier, compared to Wimbledon, where I was playing for the first time (in a major tournament) the quarters, the semi-finals, the final”, said Rybakina.

The Kazakh became the first woman since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to beat three former Grand Slam champions in an edition at Melbourne Park.

Rybakina notably eliminated Iga Swiatek, three-time Grand Slam champion, Victoria Azarenka, champion in 2012-2013 in Australia, and Jelena Ostapenkola winner at Roland-Garros in 2017. In addition, Rybakina defeated Danielle Collins, finalist in Melbourne l ‘last year.

Rybakina and Sabalenka are two of the most powerful players on the circuit, using big serves and groundstrokes to dominate their opponents.

It’s a style reminiscent of how the Williams sisters went about winning when they started transforming the sport, and quite different from the way current No. preceded at the top of the ranking, Ashleigh Barty, operated to reach the heights.

“It’s a game where there will be a lot of mistakes, a lot of winners, I’m sure, on both sides, because there will be a lot of pressure”, analyzed Stefano Vukov, the coach of Rybakina.

“I think the one that serves well tomorrow will pass. That’s my feeling. »

Both finalists are indeed capable of exceptional services, which has not always been the case with Sabalenka.

She won 89% of her service games, a tournament-high 49 of 55, meaning she was broken on average just once per game.

It’s a significant development for a player who double-faulted a lot last year, with almost 400 during the season, including more than 20 in some matches.

But Sabalenka reworked her serve mechanics during a five-day session less than a month before the US Open, where she reached the semifinals.

Another Sabalenka improvement that has made her a better player is the way she manages her mindset during a game.

Instead of “screaming at certain bad points or mistakes” like she used to, Sabalenka says she now tries to “contain herself, stay calm, think about the next point… Just less negative emotions. »

Rybakina rarely shows any trace of emotion, even when she won the championship at the All England Club.

Both tend to look to end points with quick strikes from the baseline.

This will be their fourth head-to-head, and Sabalenka is 3-0 so far, winning in straight sets each time, despite not having faced each other since Wimbledon in 2021.