Australian Open 2023: Elena Rybakina surprised by conditions
Elena Rybakina is in the final of a Grand Slam tournament for the second time in her career. Following her semi-final win over Victoria Azarenka , the Kazakh was particularly surprised by the changed conditions.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Jan 27, 2023, 01:54 pm
If there's one thing Elena Rybakina doesn't do, it's make a big fuss about something. The 23-year-old plays calmly but impressively in the final of the Australian Open - without making a big noise off the court. The Kazakh makes headlines exclusively on the pitch. Accordingly, it can be assumed that the statements after the two-set success over Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals of the Australian Open for the world rankings 25. were probably intended primarily as factual statements.
"I'm happy but also tired, I think it was a great match. The conditions were different from the other matches I've played, but I'm super happy that I qualified for the final," said last year's Wimbledon champion. The exciting thing: If the Kazakh has its way, the conditions in the night session should actually represent a not insignificant change. "I didn't expect the difference to be that big."
Rybakina and the Wimbledon experience
Everything, according to Rybakina, went much slower, the ball was heavier and it was difficult to really get it moving. That's why she had to adapt, which wasn't easy at first. "It took me a while, it's true, even against a great player like Vika, who always plays intelligently. Now I'm ready to give everything I have left in two days," said the 23-year-old. At the Australian Open, entering round three has been Rybakina's best result so far.
The big advantage now is that she already knows what to expect. "It was all new at Wimbledon. Now I'm more or less calm, my head already knows how to deal with moments like this. I'll definitely be nervous on Saturday, after all it's a Grand Slam final, just like today in the semifinals I was nervous before the game too," said the Kazakh. "But I think this time I was much more focused on the game."
In the final on Saturday, the world number 25. now on the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. The serve is also a central component in this game, explained Rybakina. Although not quite in the sense that it has been in previous matches: "It's important to have a good position on serve, that's the be-all and end-all. It's not easy in these conditions, at full power serve, the ball doesn't bounce. The same thing happens from the baseline. Here you have to play very deep and stay on the line and wait for longer rallies than usual."