Not even a canary broke Rybakin’s career-worst set in Miami, in the final she will be challenged by the wild Collins

Rybakinová – Azarenkova 6:4, 0:6, 7:6

Jelena Rybakinová played five matches at this year’s Miami Open, and in four of them she spent about two and a half hours on the court and had to go to the deciding set. With the three-time champion of this tournament and the former world number one Viktoria Azarenkova, she also managed a fourth mutual duel.

The favored Russian native representing Kazakhstan did not use four break points in the opening game, three in a row. In the first act, however, she eliminated all three break point threats, celebrated the opening break of the match in the seventh game and completed the set with a clean game. In the second set, she played the worst set of her career so far, playing only five 15ths in it and catching a humiliating canary.

In the deciding set, she confidently held serve and took the break lead after the end of the fifth game. It didn’t look like any drama, but Azarenkova continued to fight for advancement and was able to level the scores at the last minute. Rybakinová got healthy, equalized at 6:6 with another clean service game and allowed only two points to her 10-year-older opponent in the tie-break.

Match statistics. (@livesport)

Rybakinová will thus play the final in this venue for the second year in a row. Last year, when she was the only win here since completing the Sunshine Double, she was not enough in the Wimbledon champion’s fight against Petra Kvitova. This year, she arrived in Miami after a month-long break, due to health problems she did not participate in the quarterfinals in Dubai and could not defend her title in Indian Wells.

“I want to thank the spectators for their support, there was an incredible atmosphere during the match. I really enjoyed it. It was a very difficult match. This tournament is like a marathon for me.” said Rybakinová in the post-match interview, who had already spent over 11 hours on the courts.

Azarenka, the second-oldest semifinalist in Miami Open history (Venus Williams, 2017), was within reach of her first final since October 2021. That time she was fighting for a triumph in Indian Wells, and since then she has reached the semifinals only four times, losing each time. Against Rybakinová, she could win her 16th final participation in WTA 1000 events, on Saturday she would attack her 11th trophy from these events.

World No. 4 Rybakinová is in the final for the fourth time this year. In the current season, she already managed to triumph in the 500 in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi and play the final match in the 1000 in Doha. After Azarenka’s scalp, she improved her record this year to 22-3 and on Saturday she will attend her fifth final at the WTA 1000 series tournaments, in which she has triumphed twice so far.

Alexandrova – Collinsova 3:6, 2:6

For the third title of the year, Rybakinová will play against the domestic Danielle Collins, with whom she leads 3:1 in the head-to-head record. However, Rybakinová won all three victories after a three-set battle, most recently in Abu Dhabi last month.

“We have already played a few tough battles together. We play tennis because of these matches. I think I beat her years ago in San Jose. But here I have a new homework, (Rybakin) played fantastic tennis today.” said Collins, who claimed her only win in four fights at home three years ago in San Jose, where she eventually triumphed.

Collins, who played her first semi-final on the WTA circuit six years ago in Miami, lost a set to compatriot Bernarda Pera at the start of the tournament, but since then she has won 12 sets in a row and never lost more than three games. In the last twelve sets, she allowed a total of only 24 games to her opponents.

In the quarterfinals, the 30-year-old American coped with Ekaterina Alexandrova in her first mutual duel. She beat Russia, a year younger, 6:3, 6:2, when after losing her serve at 1:1, she lost only five games after her serve.

Collins played in the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament for only the second time in her career, again in Miami. This year in Florida, she ended her wait for her fourth final, which she last played at the Australian Open 2022, and the first in the 1,000.

“And it’s even more special that it’s on home soil. I’ve had some great years here, but this one is definitely the most memorable.” rejoiced the former world number seven and currently the 53rd player in the world, Collins, who will move to 28th place in the rankings. A potential most valuable triumph would catapult her to 22nd place.

Collins has two trophies in her collection so far, having won two tournaments in three weeks in the summer of 2021 – dominating the WTA 250 clay events in Palermo and the WTA 500 hard court events in San Jose. Before this season, she announced that 2024 would be her last on the circuit.

Results of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami

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