Elena Rybakina shares her thoughts on facing Aryna Sabalenka again in Miami
Elena Rybakina kept her strong run going with a quarter-final win over Jessica Pegula at the Miami Open. It wasn’t Rybakina’s cleanest performance, and she dropped the first set without much resistance.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images Elena Rybakina kept her strong run going with a quarter-final win over Jessica Pegula at the Miami Open. It wasn’t Rybakina’s cleanest performance, and she dropped the first set without much resistance. The outlook didn’t improve early in the second set either, with Pegula earning several break points and looking poised to take control.
But she couldn’t convert, and Rybakina fought back to turn things around completely. The Kazakh battled through for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win and became the first player on tour to defeat Pegula five times in succession. Next up for Rybakina is Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals.
The Kazakh addressed whether she’s seeking ‘revenge’ after her recent loss to Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final. Elena Rybakina discusses her upcoming match against Aryna Sabalenka Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Rybakina had the chance to play straight away after the loss in Indian Wells but chose instead to focus on improving and playing more matches before thinking about facing Sabalenka again. “Well, not necessarily,” Rybakina replied.
“I want to play of course any top player straight away. Aryna of course – I would prefer maybe to play in the final if she wins. “But for me honestly, it’s not really about revenge.