The Belarusian tennis player was defeated in the Brisbane International final by Kazakhstan and, at the on-court interview, she joked with her team
Elena Rybakina triumphed at the Brisbane International 2024, the first WTA 500 of the season, literally destroyng Aryna Sabalenka with the final score of 6-0 6-3 in the final. The Kazakh tennis player dominated throughout the match, imposing herself both with the serve and with the rallies from the baseline.
It was a sort of revenge for Rybakina, who was defeated last year in the Australian Open final. And this success reiterated that Kazakhstan is obviously also among the favorites for the final victory at the Happy Slam. Elena also ended Aryna’s 15-match winning streak in Australia.
Thanks to this success, Rybakina won the sixth title of her career, the third on hard-courts.
Rybakina and Sabalenka© Bradley Kanaris / Stringer Getty Images Sport
The Belarusian tennis player joked with her team in the on-court interview, jokingly blaming them for today’s defeat against Rybakina.
“A couple of words to my team. You did a terrible job today. Wow. 6-0, 6-3. It’s all your fault, guys! I honestly don’t know where to start. First of all Elena, wow. Thanks at least for those 3 games. We made it look like a fight. Great job, congratulations to you and your team on a great week.
The match dominated by Rybakina
The Kazakh tennis player was already ahead 5-0 after just twenty minutes of play.
The combination of serve & forehand made the difference, putting Sabalenka in serious difficulty, causing her to lose serve 4 times. The first set quickly ended 6-0: a worrying moment for Aryna, who was already down 2-0 in the second set.
Counterbreak in the next game, but Rybakina forced her opponent’s serve in the next game. Sabalenka requested a medical time out to have her thigh massaged, but the match was already tilted in Rybakina’s favor.