Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka swept through semifinal foes Jessica Pegula and Elina Svitolina on Thursday to earn Australian Open finale berths.
Rybakina will take on Sabalenka for the first Grand Slam title of the tennis season Saturday in Melbourne. The match will air at 3:30 a.m. EST on ESPN. An encore presentation will air at 9 a.m. on ESPN2.
"I'm very happy to be in the final again," Rybakina told reporters. "I was close in other years and seasons, but now I'm closer. It's just one step to go."
The Rybakina-Sabalenka meeting will be a rematch of the 2023 finale in Melbourne, which Sabalenka won in three sets for the first of her four Grand Slam singles crowns.
Related
