{"id":436818,"date":"2026-01-29T12:27:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T12:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/436818\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T12:27:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T12:27:11","slug":"australian-open-live-latest-score-updates-as-aryna-sabalenka-and-elena-rybakina-book-final-rematch-after-straight-set-wins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/436818\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian Open live: Latest score updates as Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina book final rematch after straight-set wins"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Elena Rybakina on facing Aryna Sabalenka again in Australian Open final<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great battle [three years ago]. I think in the end she played a bit better. Se won that match, very deserved. I just want to enjoy it, that’s for sure, and hopefully I’m gonna serve better than today. I’m so excited to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ElenaElena Rybakina lost to Aryna Sabalenka in three sets three years ago (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Jamie Braidwood29 January 2026 12:21<\/p>\n

<\/a>Elena Rybakina after reaching Australian Open final: ‘It was such a battle’<\/p>\n

\u201dIt was such a battle. It was an epic second set and I’m really glad that I managed to win it. Jessica played so well in the second set, she fought until the end. I’m just super happy to be in the final.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really, really stressful. I had an epic tiebreak here a couple of years ago, I lost it. and a little flashback came, you know. I’m super happy that in the end it it turned my way and looking forward to play on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pretty proud that, no matter the situation, I was leading, and then of course it was very tight, I still stayed there. I was fighting for each point. Actually, the match started really well, also comparing the previous matches I played. So overall it’s a lot of positives to take.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"(AP)<\/p>\n

Jamie Braidwood29 January 2026 12:18<\/p>\n

<\/a>Australian Open final set as Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina book rematch<\/p>\n

Three years on, Elena Rybakina is back in the Australian Open final, where she will face the woman who beat her that day in the world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka. <\/p>\n

Their three-set battle in 2023 was an instant classic, and changed so much for Sabalenka. That was her first grand slam title, and she returns now as the dominant No 1 and four-time grand slam champion. <\/p>\n

Rybakina has not been in a major final since then but she is coming back into her best form. She beat Sabalenka in the WTA Finals in November in a brilliant performance, showing she can beat the No 1. <\/p>\n

\"\"(REUTERS)<\/p>\n

Jamie Braidwood29 January 2026 12:13<\/p>\n

<\/a>GAME, SET AND MATCH! Elena Rybakina 6-3 7-6 (9-7) Jessica Pegula<\/p>\n

Rybakina\u2019s serve delivers to save the second set point and get it back to 7-7. <\/p>\n

Just in time, Rybakina blasts the ace and it brings up a fourth match point! But it\u2019s on Pegula\u2019s serve <\/p>\n

Rybakina this time makes sure and blasts the backhand return down the line! <\/p>\n

A great fight from Pegula, but Rybakina showed her strength there to close it out when it got nervy. <\/p>\n

It will be Sabalenka v Rybakina in the final, a rematch of their 2023 classic. <\/p>\n

Jamie Braidwood29 January 2026 12:07<\/p>\n

<\/a>TIEBREAK! Jessica Pegula 3-6 6-6 Elena Rybakina<\/p>\n

Pegula continues to scrap, refusing to go down from 4-2 down! Rybakina continues to show some nerves, firing wide on the backhand. <\/p>\n

She is bailed out by a big serve down the middle. But then Pegula finds a brilliant angle on the backhand and slams the over head. <\/p>\n

Pegula will have set point! But Rybakina responds by finding her forehand strike. Pegula had no chance and it remains tight at 6-6 in the breaker. <\/p>\n

Jamie Braidwood29 January 2026 12:04<\/p>\n

<\/a>TIEBREAK! Jessica Pegula 3-6 6-6 Elena Rybakina<\/p>\n

Pegula with an outstanding effort on the opening point, but the mini-break swings back to Rybakina after a couple of errors. Rybakina then blasts the forehand winner to move 4-2 ahead at the change of ends. <\/p>\n

\"\"(AFP via Getty Images)\"\"(AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Jamie Braidwood29 January 2026 11:58<\/p>\n

<\/a>BREAK! Jessica Pegula 3-6 6-6 Elena Rybakina<\/p>\n

This has been an admirable fight from Pegula, and Rybakina continues to show nerves as she balloons a forehand long! 30-30. <\/p>\n

Pegula attacks the Rybakina forehand and comes out on top in the exchange! She brings up another break-back point. <\/p>\n

Pegula nets on the forehand but gets another opportunity as she attacks the second serve and fires her way through. <\/p>\n

Wow! Rybakina goes long again and Pegula continues to survive. She scraps into a tiebreak. <\/p>\n

Jamie Braidwood29 January 2026 11:55<\/p>\n

<\/a>BREAK! Jessica Pegula 3-6 5-6 Elena Rybakina*<\/p>\n

Gutting for Pegula! Rybakina holds up her hands after clipping the net-cord, then follows it up with a forehand winner. Pegula continues to struggle on serve, and Rybakina breaks straight back as she outlasts her on the rally. Pegula cracks her racket behind the baseline. <\/p>\n

Rybakina will get a second opportunity to serve for the final. <\/p>\n

Jamie Braidwood29 January 2026 11:48<\/p>\n

<\/a>BREAK! *Jessica Pegula 3-6 5-5 Elena Rybakina<\/p>\n

Oh wow. Pegula rips a forehand winner down the line, then stuns Rybakina with a backhand return winner. <\/p>\n

0-30 and suddenly Rybakina has to overcome a charging Pegula in order to close this out. <\/p>\n

Rybakina does what she does best and finds two first serves. Pegula then on the first, but the second is an ace. <\/p>\n

But Rybakina then nets! And then, on break point, Rybakina blasts long on the forehand! <\/p>\n

Pegula breaks back after saving three match points! <\/p>\n

Jamie Braidwood29 January 2026 11:44<\/p>\n

<\/a>Jessica Pegula 3-6 4-5 Elena Rybakina*<\/p>\n

Rybakina set up a third match point with a belting forehand crosscourt winner, but then fires long. <\/p>\n

Pegula hangs on. She holds, but now needs to break the massive weapon of Rybakina\u2019s serve. <\/p>\n

Three match points saved, though. Could that be a turning point? <\/p>\n

Jamie Braidwood29 January 2026 11:40<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Elena Rybakina on facing Aryna Sabalenka again in Australian Open final \u201cIt was a great battle [three years…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":436819,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[99,428],"class_list":["post-436818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-sports","tag-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436818"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436818\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}