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Updated · The New York Times · Sep 11Rybakina Rallies Past Gauff in 3 Sets to Reach U.S. Open Final
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 11Summary
- Elena Rybakina overturned a 3-6 first-set loss to beat Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday night, booking her place in Saturday’s U.S. Open final.
- The No. 2 seed held her nerve late after Gauff broke back when Rybakina served for the match, then immediately broke again to close out the semifinal.
- Saturday’s final will pit the top two seeds against each other, with Rybakina facing Aryna Sabalenka, who is chasing a third straight U.S. Open title.
- The matchup also carries ranking stakes: Rybakina will move to world No. 1 on Monday and can claim a third career Grand Slam title with a win.
Insights
Can Rybakina dethrone a 99-week reigning champion who just unlocked a devastating new serve to claim the ultimate New York title? How did Sabalenka transform a disastrous 428-double-fault season into a historic run for a third consecutive U.S. Open crown? Will Rybakina's hidden ankle injury cost her the championship against a biomechanically reborn Sabalenka?