Elena Rybakina continued her run against the best players in women’s tennis by defeating Elina Svitolina in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Open.
Rybakina claimed a 7–5, 6–4 victory to book her place in the final, extending an impressive streak to 12 consecutive wins against Top 10 players. Her last loss to a Top 10 opponent came in October last year.
The Kazakh star will now face world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final after Sabalenka defeated Linda Noskova in the other semifinal.
Friday’s match began with Svitolina taking early control, breaking for a 2–0 lead. Rybakina quickly responded and gradually took charge, winning seven straight games to turn a tight first set into a commanding position.
Svitolina mounted a late fightback in the second set, saving two match points and closing the gap to 5–4. But Rybakina stayed composed to finish the match with a powerful service game filled with clean winners.
“Elina is a fighter, and it’s always tough matches against her,” Rybakina said after the match. “I started a bit slow tonight, but I’m happy that in the end I managed to win.”
The result also guarantees a career milestone for Rybakina. Regardless of the final result, she will rise to a career-high ranking of world No.2 when the new rankings are released after the tournament.
