Elena Rybakina showcased her resilience and determination as she rallied from a set down to defeat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday. This hard-fought victory secured Rybakina a place in the US Open final, where she will face two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. By reaching the semi-finals, Rybakina also knocked Sabalenka out of the number one world ranking.
The match began with Gauff taking a firm grip on the proceedings. The American player broke Rybakina's serve to go 4-2 up in the opening set and held to love to take a 5-2 lead. Gauff then held her serve in the ninth game to clinch the first set comfortably.
However, Rybakina responded with a break of serve early in the second set, taking a 3-1 lead. She extended her advantage to 4-1 before Gauff fought back, breaking serve to make it 4-3 and then holding to level the set at 4-4. Despite her efforts, Gauff double-faulted in the 10th game, giving Rybakina two set points at 15-40. Rybakina capitalized on the opportunity, leveling the match at one set each.
The decisive third set followed a similar pattern. Gauff broke Rybakina's serve to trail 5-3, but Rybakina broke back immediately to make it 5-4. Gauff failed to capitalize on her chances, and a deft volley from Rybakina left her with two match points at 15-40. Gauff hit a wide open smash long, handing Rybakina the victory.
Reflecting on the match, Rybakina acknowledged the challenge posed by Gauff. "It was such a cool third set -- I feel like I was a little bit lucky on her serve. A couple of deep returns, one mistake from her, it went quickly my way...it was a real battle," Rybakina said. Looking ahead to the final, Rybakina emphasized the need to step up her game. "I feel like I definitely need to step my game up, serve much better than today and stay aggressive," she noted.
