Home / Sports / Rybakina Battles Past Starodubtseva in Roland Garros Thriller
Rybakina Battles Past Starodubtseva in Roland Garros Thriller
7 Sep
Summary
- Rybakina secured a comeback win after losing the first set.
- She saved a set point in the tiebreaker before winning.
- She is close to reaching world number one ranking.
Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion, encountered a significant challenge in the second round of Roland Garros. She faced Yuliia Starodubtseva, who capitalized on Rybakina's early struggles to take the lead in the first set. Rybakina managed to break back and save a set point in a crucial tiebreaker, ultimately seizing control of the match.
With the first set secured, Rybakina displayed renewed confidence in the second. A break of serve early in the set, aided by a double fault from Starodubtseva, set the tone. Rybakina maintained her advantage throughout the second set, closing out the match in just under two hours. She acknowledged the difficulty of the match, noting it wasn't her best performance but expressed satisfaction with the straight-sets victory.
This win brings Rybakina closer to potentially supplanting Aryna Sabalenka as the world number one ranked player. She remains focused on her upcoming matches, including a potential clash with Naomi Osaka. Osaka recently advanced by defeating Elise Mertens in a three-set thriller.
