Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina defeats Victoria Azarenka to reach Australian Open final

Match Point: Elena Rybakina is an Australian Open finalist

Live by the serve, die by the serve?

For tennis’ servebots, perhaps. But Elena Rybakina is no bot, despite owning one of the best serves in the women’s game. It’s a coveted shot that’s hard to handle, difficult to read and was the main reason she won Wimbledon last summer in a breakout performance.

What Rybakina is, however, is an Australian Open finalist, for the first time, thanks to a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over two-time Aussie Open champion Victoria Azarenka.

“I’m super happy and proud with my team—without them it would be difficult to be here,” said Rybakina, whose on-court calm was in sharp contrast to her coach’s courtside mannerisms. “Of course they were nervous because they wanted me to perform well.”

Despite landing just 48 percent of her first serves in the first set, Rybakina took the opener because she possesses other refined weapons, including a backhand that shines when snapped crosscourt or fired down the line. And despite a net presence that fails to measure up to her baseline artillery, she won five of nine first-set points in the front court. In all, she hit 20 winners over the first 60 minutes of play.

Six of those winners were aces. “That’s unfair,” said ESPN’s Chris Fowler after a Rybakina service game that featured only aces and unreturned serves.

“She’s under pressure the entire time,” Mary Jo Fernandez, Fowler’s partner in the commentary booth, said of Azarenka after another Rybakina love hold in the second set.

That's unfair. ESPN's Chris Fowler, after a Rybakina hold featuring only aces and unreturned serves.

Azarenka, for her part, hit 17 first-set winners, including one after retrieving an average Rybakina volley on set point. That Vika still dropped the opener speaks to Rybakina’s overall level at this time. She’s No. 22 in rankings, but only because she wasn’t awarded 2,000 points for winning Wimbledon.

In reality, she’s playing like a world No. 1.

“I got a lot of experience from Wimbledon,” said Rybakina, whose reaction to winning her first Grand Slam title felt no different than winning a first-rounder. “I want to come on court and enjoy the moment and the atmosphere [this time]. We’ll see how it’s going to go, but I’m for sure going to try my best.”

Rybakina’s play in the second set should give pause to either of her possible opponents, Aryna Sabalenka or Magda Linette. She broke Azarenka at love at 1-all, and despite letting some opportunities slide, broke serve again at 4-2. Azarenka hardly gave this match away, but she was clearly the defender against Rybakina’s natural aggression.

And even when Rybakina’s serve let her down at 5-2—with credit to Azarenka’s beautiful, booming backhand—she reapplied the pressure instantly, breaking Vika for good in the very next game.