Former Wimbledon champion races to 6-1, 6-4 victory
She defends previously banned coach Stefano Vukov
Elena Rybakina has described herself as satisfied by the return of her coach Stefano Vukov as she produced an imperious performance at the Cincinnati Open, dismantling Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1 and defending champion, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, put together a performance of the highest quality on Friday afternoon as she served efficiently and completely overpowered one of the most destructive shotmakers in the world.
Until the past few weeks, Vukov had been banned from coaching at WTA tournaments and the grand slam events after the WTA found that he had engaged in abusive conduct towards Rybakina. His suspension was lifted upon appeal, allowing him to train with and support her onsite throughout the past two weeks in Cincinnati. “It’s great that he’s here in the box, finally, so it’s a good thing,” she said.
