Elena Rybakina stuns planet No.1 Iga Swiatek to attain Indian Wells final

(CNN) Elena Rybakina defeated planet No. 1 Iga Świątek in straight sets on Friday to attain the Indian Wells final and continue her electric run of sort this season.

Świątek had no answer to the potent groundstrokes unleashed by the Wimbledon champion as the Pole was overwhelmed six-two six-two in an hour and 16 minutes.

With this victory, Rybakina became the 1st player to win a variety of matches against a reigning planet No.1 thinking of that 2019, correct following she defeated the Świątek in the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year.

“With Iga, she’s hard, really hard opponent, but when I play this superior and each small issue goes in — primarily simply because now some moments I played, I would say, on my highest level — [these are] moments specifically exactly where you can truly really feel, okay, I can beat any individual if I frequently play like this,” pointed out Rybakina correct following her win.

“But it is the objective, you beneath no situations truly really feel great and most effective each single match. I really feel now it was just really superior from me.”

The two players met in the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year.

The planet No. ten was dominant from the commence, breaking Świątek at the 1st opportunity and winning the 1st set in just 36 minutes.

Rybakina then raced to a 5- lead in the second prior to Świątek held and broke back to stem the tide somewhat, but the Kazakh held on for victory, becoming the 1st player from her nation to attain a singles final in tournament history. Rybakina was born in Russia but has represented Kazakhstan thinking of that 2018

“If you dropped onto the planet tonight and heard #1 is playing, then it is Rybakina,” former certified tennis player Pam Shriver tweeted.

Świątek revealed afterwards that she was managing a rib injury and “not feeling one particular hundred% physically,” although she nonetheless plans to play at the Miami Open subsequent week.

“Honestly, I have not played with a lot of injuries,” she added. “It truly is a new circumstance for me, for good. Final time I played with an injury, like the only tournament I can bear in thoughts is like Roland Garros 2019. So I was pretty young.

“Now it is a absolutely diverse level. So I truly really feel like going on that matches you have to be one particular hundred% match.”

Rybakina will now face Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka for the Indian Wells title in a repeat of this year’s Australian Open final.