NewzElena Rybakina overpowers Coco Gauff in a fierce US Open semifinal to secure a title showdown with defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. Elena Rybakina (left) salutes Coco Gauff after winning their Women's Singles semifinals match of the US Open Tennis Championships . (EPA Images pic)NEW YORK: Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday and book a US Open championship showdown with two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.In Saturday's final Rybakina will try to deal another blow to Sabalenka, having knocked her out of the number one world ranking just by reaching the semi-finals."I feel like I definitely need to step my game up, serve much better than today and stay aggressive," Rybakina said of her looming clash with Sabalenka.Gauff's bid to return to the final for the first time since she defeated Sabalenka for the 2023 title had got off to a smooth start, with the American seizing the initiative in the opening set with a break to go 4-2 up.She held to love to take a 5-2 lead and then held in the ninth game to take a one set lead.But Rybakina hit back with an early break of serve in the second set for a 3-1 lead and held to go 4-1 up.Gauff responded superbly to claw her way back into contention with a break to make it 4-3 before holding to square it a 4-4.Yet she was unable to make the most of her fightback and double-faulted in the 10th game to hand two set points to Rybakina at 15-40.
Rybakina pounced on that chance to take the match to a third set.The decisive set followed a similar pattern.Gauff conceded a break to trail 5-3 and leave Rybakina serving for the match.But the American broke back immediately to make it 5-4 to get it back on serve.Again though Gauff was unable to capitalise, and a deft volley from Rybakina left her with two match points at 15-40, before Gauff then hit a wide open smash long to hand her opponent victory."It was such a cool third set -- I feel like I was a little bit lucky on her serve," Rybakina said. "A couple of deep returns, one mistake from her, it went quickly my way...it was a real battle." Elena Rybakina has set up a showdown with Aryna Sabalenka after beating Coco Gauff in three sets.
Rybakina fights back after losing the first set to beat Gauff and reach her first US Open final, where she will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. Second seeded Kazakh comes from set down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4Sabalenka awaits in title decider after blitzing Jessica PegulaOne set may have already passed in her first US Open semi-final, but Elena Rybakina still had not arrived inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. While an inspired Coco Gauff blew through the first stanza covering every inch of the acrylic surface as their 22,000-strong audience screamed for the Kazakhstani’s blood, Rybakina was wild and erratic from the baseline and her peerless serve was nowhere to be seen.Nobody reaches the summit of professional without being able to problem-solve through difficult days on court though, and Rybakina gave a brilliant showcase of the underrated toughness at the heart of her success as she coolly recovered from a set down to overpower Gauff and seal her spot in her first US Open final with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.
American hearts were broken as Elena Rybakina silenced Coco Gauff and the New York crowd to set up a blockbuster US Open final against Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Jessica Pegula to move a win away from her third straight title at Flushing Meadows.
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