Sabalenka storms to big-hitting Australian Open final against Rybakina

Aryna Sabalenka will face Elena Rybakina in a big-hitting Australian Open final after the world number one kept her cool to storm past Elina Svitolina and reach a fourth Melbourne showpiece in a row.

Two-time winner Sabalenka overcame fluctuations in form and a hindrance call against her in the fourth game of the match to thrash Svitolina 6-2 6-3.

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina then overcame American Jessica Pegula 6-3 7-6 (9-7) to seal the chance to avenge her 2023 final loss to Sabalenka.

Both players will begin Saturday's tantalising final in red-hot form, with neither woman dropping a set in their six matches so far.

Sabalenka, bidding for a fifth Grand Slam singles title, is on an 11-match winning streak and has hit the most winners of any player during this year's tournament (172).

Strong-serving Rybakina has lost just one of her past 20 matches - and it is the Kazakh world number five who edges their head-to-head on hard courts 6-5.

Sabalenka will also be searching for some redemption after last year's final, when she felt she was "not brave enough" in a three-set loss to Madison Keys.

Ukraine's 12th seed Svitolina had beaten two top-10 players to reach the semi-finals but was no match for Sabalenka's powerful hitting on Thursday.

Svitolina always faced an uphill battle against Sabalenka, having lost their past five meetings.

Sabalenka's stats - 29 winners to 15 unforced errors and dropping just 11 points on serve - show how she dominated the play, but more impressive was her mental focus.

An engaging, occasionally volatile figure on court, Sabalenka let her emotions get the better of her in both the Australian Open and French Open finals last year.

This year, with Svitolina serving at 2-1 down in the first set, Sabalenka was called for hindrance by umpire Louise Azemar Engzell for grunting during a rally.

The hindrance rule is meant to stop a player from interfering with an opponent's ability to make a shot, either by shouting, making noise or dropping a ball from their pocket.

Engzell told Sabalenka she "did not make the normal sound" when she hit the ball and subsequently awarded the point to Svitolina.

Sabalenka asked for a video review but, with players unable to hear the audio, could only watch as Engzell replayed the footage and stayed with her decision.

The Belarusian was unimpressed, aiming a sarcastic thumbs down at the umpire and offering a few choice words to her team, but she was able to reset quickly.

Sabalenka subsequently broke Svitolina's serve and then won four of the next five games to take the first set.

After a dreadful service game handed an immediate second-set break to Svitolina, Sabalenka glared at her team, stomped to her seat and then broke back at the first opportunity.

She saved another break point on her way to a 5-2 lead before fittingly closing out victory with a forehand winner.

Discussing the hindrance call, Sabalenka said: "That's actually never happened to me. I think it was the wrong call, but whatever.

"It actually benefitted my game. I was more aggressive. So if she ever wants to do it again, I want to make sure that she's not afraid to. Go ahead, call it. It's going to help me."

Rybakina is through to her first major final since Sabalenka produced a three-set comeback win to lift her first Grand Slam trophy in Melbourne three years ago.

The Kazakh fifth seed will relish the opportunity of a rematch, having won each of her last nine matches against fellow top-10 players, including world number two Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and now sixth seed Pegula.

Rybakina appeared set to make serene progress to the final after polishing off the first set with an assured forehand winner and maintaining momentum by striking with a break early in the second.

A rare moment of encouragement for Pegula was short-lived as Rybakina responded to a first loss of serve by breaking back immediately and serving her way to a 5-3 lead.

But there were further twists to come as Pegula escaped three match points on serve before capitalising on a poor game from Rybakina to level at 5-5 and tee up a dramatic conclusion.

Rybakina once again reset impressively to create a second chance to serve out victory, only for a resurgent Pegula to force a tie-break.

In keeping with the preceding games, the topsy-turvy tie-break swung back and forth, but Rybakina held her nerve through two set points and clinched her fourth match point with a backhand winner.

No player on the WTA Tour boasts more wins than Rybakina since the end of Wimbledon last year (37), with the only defeat in her past 20 matches coming against Karolina Muchova in Brisbane earlier this month.