Elena Rybakina v Aryna Sabalenka: Australian Open women’s singles final – live

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Sabalenka* 4-6 2-1 Rybakina

Sabalenka will continue to go for her big serves. She’s one of life’s triers, and it’s her best route into the match. But she continues to make mistakes and an error from the baseline forces it to 40-40. Big serve, her seventh ace, and she has the advantage. And game. Well done. An hour gone, and it’s been all guts from both players, the glory still up for grabs.

Sabalenka 4-6 1-1 *Rybakina

Big noise from Sabalenka, and Rybakina is being put under pressure. A neat drop shot lands her 15-0. Sabalenka levels with another winner down the line. And then launches another backhand, and it’s becoming a tight contest in which the Belarusian player seems likely to crack her Kazakh opponent. And yet it’s 30-30, and then Sabalenka sees her chance and misses a service return. Still, she lands the next, and it’s deuce. A shanked forehand hands Rybakina the advantage, and that’s followed by a big serve. Yet another gutsy hold.

Sabalenka* 4-6 1-0 Rybakina

Sabalenka attempts to put the yips behind her, but her opponent is in the groove. And lands two break points at 15-40. One player is cool, the other is making the more noise. Still, Sabalenka saves the first break. And the second, too, both off the line, narrow margins required. Big serve for advantage, and more power play saves the day. A gutsy hold, as they say.

Sabalenka 4-6 *Rybakina

Rybakina sees her chance, and her second serve is working. It takes her to 30-0, and then a sweeping forehand rears up and she has three set points. That’s served out at the first time of asking. She came back from dropping her serve with real determination.

Sabalenka* 4-5 Rybakina

The pendulum swingeth once more. Sabalenka wants to maintain her momentum, but gets to 0-30 down, and then a big second serve leads her to gain a foothold at 15-30. Then anguish as she nets, and it’s 15-40, and a big break on offer. First one saved, but then comes another double. Is she going too big on her second serve? Rybakina can serve for the first set.

Sabalenka 4-4 *Rybakina

Three break-back points as the Rybakina serve begins to malfunction, and then Sabalenka, from the baseline, crashes the winner and it’s levels, you devils.

Sabalenka* 3-4 Rybakina

A third double fault means it’s 15-30, and she’s going for it on her second serves. A yell after Sabalenka comes out on top in a rally for 40-30. And then, crashing a backhand home as the ball rises and it’s a hold.

Sabalenka 2-4 *Rybakina

Rybakina’s turn to serve big, and she closes off the door to a break, acing home with a serve down the middle line.

Sabalenka* 2-3 Rybakina

Big serving from Sabalenka takes her to 40-0 once more, and at 40-15, she thwacks a backhand home to stop the rot.

Sabalenka 1-3 *Rybakina

Can Rybakina force her advantage? Sabalenka’s radar seems a bit off, and she goes long for 30-0. Big serve forces 40-0. But Sabalenka then forces a long rally where she gets the better of things, before Rybakina’s raking backhand puts her in a commanding lead in the opening set.

Sabalenka* 1-2 Rybakina

Well, here we go, a break of serve. The Sabalenka serve initially looks to have recovered from that early double as she races to 40-0, though Rybakina uses its pace for a return winner on her forehand, and then, after a net cord, a walloping whipped forehand for 30-40. Then comes deuce, after another service return seen early. Then a double for a break point, and another skidding return forces an error.

Sabalenka 1-1 *Rybakina

Rybakina’s serve is not as mighty, but still pretty potent. Russell Crowe is looking on, as the Kazakh player gets to 40-15 and then game. Sisters, what we do in life… echoes in eternity.

Sabalenka* 1-0 Rybakina

And away we go, and start with a double fault. Not the best start and one followed by an ace. And next a big serve, and a crashing forehand followup for 30-15. An ace gets the job done.

The players take to the court, Rybakina first, followed by Sabalenka. The trophy is in view of them as they enter the Rod Laver arena. They pose for photos, and the toss. Sabalenka will serve first, and they can begin the knock-up.

Conditions news from the i’s tennis man.

Some earlier results from Melbourne Park.

Tumaini Carayol is on the scene in Melbourne ahead of a much awaited blastfest.

There are times when players in top form meet too early in a grand slam and other events can look lopsided by the end, but as Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina face off in their first Melbourne final there is no doubt these are the two best players of the tournament.

This seems a perfectly poised final, with Sabalenka chasing her first Slam, and Rybakina, the Wimbledon champion, facing off at Melbourne Park. It’s Belarus v Kazakhstan and between two players seeking to break into the gap at the top of the women’s game. Rybakina is mentally tough, while Sabelenka has the power. Both six-footers, they have the game to win this tournament and it seems a close one to call. Sabalenka has won all of their three meetings together, at Wimbledon in 2021, Abu Dhabi in 2021 and Wuhan in 2019. All three matches went to three sets, and that seems a likely outcome here. The stakes are the highest they could be, and who will have the mental strength to prevail?