Elena Rybakina v Aryna Sabalenka: Australian Open women’s singles final – live

Sabalenka* 4-6 6-3 3-3 Rybakina

Sabalenka serving up some bombs and it’s 40-15. Rybakina can’t get near a break. Big hold, almost easy.

Sabalenka 4-6 6-3 2-3 *Rybakina

Rybakina plants a winner on the line for a 30-0 lead but then comes a first double fault. Untimely but not necessarily fatal. And then, having to chase down the line, she misses. 30-30, Sabalenka smelling blood. A missed first serve, and that’s brutalised down the court by Sabalenka’s forehand. A break point chance, but saved by a skidding first serve. Then another big one but she misreads a service return for deuce and visible disappointment. On second serve, Sabalenka forces a deuce with some real power. And big noise. But the hold is on, and saved. Yet more guts. Sabalenka has only won two from 10 break points.

Sabalenka* 4-6 6-3 2-2 Rybakina

Some wobbles on Sabalenka’s serve? Perhaps but she gets the deal done. The hitting continues to be fearsome and Rybakina is not getting close to breaking her.

Sabalenka 4-6 6-3 1-2 *Rybakina

Big serving from Rybakina for 30-15, an ace. But Sabalenka digs out a nice backhand, for 30-30, only to lose the next rally on a net cord bounce that is snaffled up. Then Rybakina wins a long rally, and that’s a hold. They’re all gutsy holds at this point.

Sabalenka* 4-6 6-3 1-1 Rybakina

Sabelanka’s big hitting is on point now. Well, mostly. She makes a terrible miss of a forehand off the baseline. But at 40-15 she has space for it. The hold is seen out.

Sabalenka 4-6 6-3 0-1 *Rybakina

Rybakina, trying not to crack in the first game of the decider, starts well but her second serve is being bullied. Still, at 40-15 she has chance to put the pressure back on her opponent. Scratch that on the second serve; she serves a beauty, and takes the first game. Well done.

Sabalenka takes the second set 6-3, taking match to decider

Sabalenka 4-6 5-3 *Rybakina

Three sets was the prediction, and it looks likely to comes to pass, with Sabalenka landing two set points, the first saved by a serve, the quickest so far from the Kazakh. There’s bird mess on the court, too, which leads to a momentary delay. And Sabalenaka’s claiming of the second set is delayed by a backhand winner on Rybakina’s second serve, and then, just when it looks as if Sabalenka has it in her grasp, Rybakina punches home a stop volley. Great tennis from both. Big serve then saves another break, and that’s a hold. Two break points saved. Sabalenka must serve to win the second set.

Sabalenka* 4-6 5-2 Rybakina

New balls, so big serves expected. Sabalenka does exactly that, with big noise, too. She wins a rally by digging out a ball headed for shoelaces. Then serves out. That’s a big hold.

Sabalenka 4-6 4-2 *Rybakina

Rybakina serving to stay in this second set. Her efficiency of the opening set is becoming a memory. Sabalenka’s in the groove, and a backhand lands her 15-15. And 15-40, too, a double break on. The first break point is saved by a fine serve. The second by a skidding serve. The third, at deuce, saved by Rybakina engineering a rally to her needs. But there’s annoyance as she frames an attempted winner to pull it back to deuce. Then comes a backhand winner from the baseline from Sabalenka. A marathon game sees deuce after deuce but eventually Rybakina holds.

Big win for the Briton over 16-year-old Tokito Oda, 6-3, 6-1

Sabalenka* 4-6 4-1 Rybakina

Untimely error from the server and it’s 15-30. But then Rybakina can’t scrape over a drop. She mutters to herself. Sabalenka then drives to 40-30, but succumbs to a deuce. And then the spectre of a double fault. And then a second serve. But this time she survives, clattering her return of the return home. “Come on,” she bellows. Far better serve to claim the advantage, but saved by the Rybakina forehand. An overhead claims another advantage for the server. Another “come on” and it’s served out to audible relief.

Sabalenka 4-6 3-1 *Rybakina

Rybakina’s forehand was the murder weapon out there. It’s been irresistible, but Sabalenka is feeling her way back in and wins a long rally at the net for 30-30. And a break point presents itself, only to be saved by an angled serve, an ace. But another comes along when Rybakina’s forehand breaks down, and that’s a break. Hello, three sets may soon beckon, and Rybakina’s gone a bit milky.

Sabalenka* 4-6 2-1 Rybakina

Sabalenka will continue to go for her big serves. She’s one of life’s triers, and it’s her best route into the match. But she continues to make mistakes and an error from the baseline forces it to 40-40. Big serve, her seventh ace, and she has the advantage. And game. Well done. An hour gone, and it’s been all guts from both players, the glory still up for grabs.

Sabalenka 4-6 1-1 *Rybakina

Big noise from Sabalenka, and Rybakina is being put under pressure. A neat drop shot lands her 15-0. Sabalenka levels with another winner down the line. And then launches another backhand, and it’s becoming a tight contest in which the Belarusian player seems likely to crack her Kazakh opponent. And yet it’s 30-30, and then Sabalenka sees her chance and misses a service return. Still, she lands the next, and it’s deuce. A shanked forehand hands Rybakina the advantage, and that’s followed by a big serve. Yet another gutsy hold.

Sabalenka* 4-6 1-0 Rybakina

Sabalenka attempts to put the yips behind her, but her opponent is in the groove. And lands two break points at 15-40. One player is cool, the other is making the more noise. Still, Sabalenka saves the first break. And the second, too, both off the line, narrow margins required. Big serve for advantage, and more power play saves the day. A gutsy hold, as they say.

Rybakina wins the first set 6-4

Sabalenka* 4-5 Rybakina

The pendulum swingeth once more. Sabalenka wants to maintain her momentum, but gets to 0-30 down, and then a big second serve leads her to gain a foothold at 15-30. Then anguish as she nets, and it’s 15-40, and a big break on offer. First one saved, but then comes another double. Is she going too big on her second serve? Rybakina can serve for the first set.

Sabalenka 4-4 *Rybakina

Three break-back points as the Rybakina serve begins to malfunction, and then Sabalenka, from the baseline, crashes the winner and it’s levels, you devils.

Sabalenka* 3-4 Rybakina

A third double fault means it’s 15-30, and she’s going for it on her second serves. A yell after Sabalenka comes out on top in a rally for 40-30. And then, crashing a backhand home as the ball rises and it’s a hold.

Sabalenka 2-4 *Rybakina

Rybakina’s turn to serve big, and she closes off the door to a break, acing home with a serve down the middle line.

Sabalenka* 2-3 Rybakina

Big serving from Sabalenka takes her to 40-0 once more, and at 40-15, she thwacks a backhand home to stop the rot.

Sabalenka 1-3 *Rybakina

Can Rybakina force her advantage? Sabalenka’s radar seems a bit off, and she goes long for 30-0. Big serve forces 40-0. But Sabalenka then forces a long rally where she gets the better of things, before Rybakina’s raking backhand puts her in a commanding lead in the opening set.

Sabalenka* 1-2 Rybakina

Well, here we go, a break of serve. The Sabalenka serve initially looks to have recovered from that early double as she races to 40-0, though Rybakina uses its pace for a return winner on her forehand, and then, after a net cord, a walloping whipped forehand for 30-40. Then comes deuce, after another service return seen early. Then a double for a break point, and another skidding return forces an error.

Sabalenka 1-1 *Rybakina

Rybakina’s serve is not as mighty, but still pretty potent. Russell Crowe is looking on, as the Kazakh player gets to 40-15 and then game. Sisters, what we do in life… echoes in eternity.

Sabalenka* 1-0 Rybakina

And away we go, and start with a double fault. Not the best start and one followed by an ace. And next a big serve, and a crashing forehand followup for 30-15. An ace gets the job done.

The players take to the court, Rybakina first, followed by Sabalenka. The trophy is in view of them as they enter the Rod Laver arena. They pose for photos, and the toss. Sabalenka will serve first, and they can begin the knock-up.

Conditions news from the i’s tennis man.

Some earlier results from Melbourne Park.

Tumaini Carayol is on the scene in Melbourne ahead of a much awaited blastfest.

There are times when players in top form meet too early in a grand slam and other events can look lopsided by the end, but as Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina face off in their first Melbourne final there is no doubt these are the two best players of the tournament.

Preamble