6-3, 7-6 (7) victory books repeat of 2023 Melbourne final
Pegula fails to capitalise in topsy-turvy tie-break
A nervous Elena Rybakina overcame a brave rally from the fast-finishing Jessica Pegula to book an Australian Open final rematch against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, securing her third grand slam final appearance with a 6-3, 7-6 (7) semi-final victory in 101 minutes.
The American was left ruing a slow start, and an inability to make the most of her second set opportunities, as she failed in her quest to reach a second grand slam final.
Rybakina dominated early but tightened with the match on her racket, giving up two late breaks. In the end the No 5 seed stayed focused just long enough in a topsy-turvy second set tie-break – in which she saved two set points – to secure the victory.
