Miami Open 2023: Unstoppable Rybakina defeats Pegula to reach Sunshine Double final

Elena Rybakina is unstoppable at the moment. The Kazakh defeated Jessica Pegula 7-6(3), 6-4 to reach back-to-back Sunshine Double and extend her winning streak to thirteen matches.

Pegula was flawless in the first set till 5-3 when Rybakina had different ideas with some great returns to level up 5-5. The American served twice for the set leading to a tiebreak.

Play was suspended after a heavy downpour, and when the players resumed back on the court, Rybakina swiftly won the tiebreak, keeping her perfect tiebreak record in 2023 intact (seven now, the highest in the WTA for the year) by winning five of the six points after the rain delay to clinch the first set.

In the second set, Pegula couldn't respond to some flashes of brilliance of Rybakina's plays, and she will rue her missed chances after being a break up twice in both sets and served twice in the first set.

By reaching the final, Rybakina is the sixth player to be a finalist at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Miami in a year after Seles (1991), Graf (1994), Davenport (2000), Hingis (2000), and Sharapova (2012).

She has also won thirteen WTA-1000 main draw matches in 2023, more than any player: equalling already her highest tally in a single year (also 13 in 2022).

Rybakina has the most winners (169) at the Miami Open 2023, the highest tally in a single WTA Tour tournament so far this year, surpassing Linda Noskova in Adelaide (168). And she's the first player since Serena Williams at 2016 Wimbledon to serve 10+ aces in five matches in the same tournament.

Speaking after the match, a modest Rybakina said she never thought she would be in the final.

“I’m really happy. Honestly, I didn’t expect it. When I came here, it was still very tough. Especially the first matches, so I didn’t think I would be in the final. I’m really happy and very proud. Thank you so much to everyone who supported me.”

Rybakina will face the winner between Sorana Cirstea and Petra Kvitova for the Miami title.