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Aryna Sabalenka
Photo:
MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP
Aryna Sabalenka has won the Australian Open for the first time.
The 24-year-old prevailed in a hard-fought final 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Wimbledon champion Jelena Rybakina.
Sabalenka, who hails from Belarus, is the first neutral-flagged athlete to win a major tournament.
Because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, Russians and Belarusians were only allowed to compete as neutral athletes in Melbourne.
At her Grand Slam final premiere in the Rod Laver Arena, Sabalenka improved after she had to give up a set for the first time this year.
In the third round she managed the decisive break to make it 4:3.
She converted her fourth match point after 2:28 hours.
In addition to the title and prize money equivalent to around 1.95 million euros, Sabalenka can also look forward to climbing to second place in the world rankings.
Rybakina can console herself with around one million and will advance into the top ten of the WTA ranking for the first time.
Born in Russia, she has been playing for Kazakhstan since 2018 and made her country's first Grand Slam triumph at Wimbledon.
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