Australian Open: Rybakina books spot in final

Kazakh Elena Rybakina, the No 22 seed, advanced to the final of the Australian Open by defeating Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the No 24 seed, 7-6 (4), 6-3 at Melbourne Park on Thursday.

Rybakina, ranked No 25, will play the winner of the match between Pole Magda Linette and Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the No 5 seed, next.

Ahead of her victory, the Kazakh won against Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto (7-5, 6-3), Slovenian Kaja Juvan (6-2, 6-1), American Danielle Collins, the No 13 seed (6-2, 5-7, 6-2), Pole Iga Swiatek, the top seed (6-4, 6-4) and Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, the No 17 seed (6-2, 6-4).

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Tennis Majors

Azarenka, ranked No 24, beat American Sofia Kenin (6-4, 7-6 (3)), Argentinian Nadia Podoroska (6-1, 6-0), American Madison Keys, the No 10 seed (1-6, 6-2, 6-1), Chinese Lin Zhu (4-6, 6-1, 6-4) and American Jessica Pegula, the No 3 seed (6-4, 6-1) in the previous rounds.

Melbourne (Grand Slam), other semi-final result (Melbourne Park, hard, USD 24.297.942):

• Magda Linette vs. Aryna Sabalenka