Australian Open Women’s final LIVE: Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is half-way towards her second Grand Slam title after taking the first set 6-4 against No 5 seed Aryna Sabalenka… but Belarusian is a break up in the second
Follow Sportsmail’s live blog for the Australian Open final between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka.
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Serve out wide followed by a backhand cross-court winner puts Sabalenka in front. Rybakina is not going away, though, as she takes the next two points.
Rybakina tries to approach the net but can’t get her slice into court, and a forceful forehand puts Sabalenka 40-30 up.
But that forehand has been erratic, and she puts her next one way long as another game goes to deuce.
Sabalenka’s sixth double fault hands Rybakina the chance to break straight back, but Sabalenka saves it with a pinpoint backhand winner.
Another strong serve followed by a powerful forehand gives Sabalenka game point and Rybakina is starting to show the first signs of frustration. But back she comes, dictating the next point as we return to deuce.
A nerveless overhead gives Sabalenka another chance to see out the game, and she finally takes it with an ace.
Excellent first point from Sabalenka puts her ahead in the game, but Rybakina’s forehand is causing problems and she takes the next point.
Sabalenka builds the points nicely and puts away a volley at the net to make it 30-30.
Sabalenka hits a backhand return right onto the baseline and Rybakina has no answer. Break point.
What a response from Rybakina as she hits an ace out wide. Sabalenka inspects the mark but it was just in.
Sabalenka is starting to hold her own in the longer rallies and she gains another break point after Rybakina finds the net.
And there’s the break as Rybakina goes long with a forehand.
An error on the opening point from Sabalenka puts Rybakina ahead in the game, but we are back to 15-15 after a strong forehand from the Belarusian.
Sabalenka is a bit hit-and-miss with the forehand as another error on that wing makes it 30-30.
Luckily for her, the backhand is more dependable at the moment and takes her to game point. Then it’s another shocker of a forehand and we are back to deuce.
A seventh ace hands her another chance to take the game, and an eighth ace quickly follows. Sabalenka is still in the hunt for this title.
Outstanding from Rybakina as she soaks up the pressure and then turns defence into attack, producing a drop shot that Sabalenka gets nowhere near retrieving.
Sabalenka responds with a forehand winner that just clips the outside of the line, and then shows off her own defensive skills before firing a backhand cross-court to move to 15-30 on the Rybakina serve.
Rybakina’s hits an unreturnable serve to make it 30-30.
Sabalenka will be kicking herself as he dumps a second-serve return into the net, but she makes amends the very next point with a forehand winner down the line.
This is ferocious hitting as Rybakina forces Sabalenka to put a forehand wide and another big serve hands the Wimbledon champion the game.
Rybakina is sensing this could be the moment to take complete control and a winner down the line puts her 15-30 up.
She is dictating the rallies at the moment, and forces Sabalenka to send a forehand long.
A big serve followed by a forehand gets Sabalenka out of trouble on the first break point, and a forehand right on the line takes the game to deuce.
Sabalenka’s serve takes her to game point, and she wraps up the game with an excellent forehand into the corner. That’s a big hold.
Rybakina may not look particularly happy but inside she must be delighted with how that first set went.
She is closing in on her second grand slam title.
Both women hitting cleanly in the opening point of the game, but it’s Sabalenka who blinks first as her backhand down the line drift wide.
Excellent ball striking from Rybakina sees her move into a 40-0 lead.
And that’s the set as Sabalenka’s return goes into the net. The Wimbledon champion is one set away from the title.
Trouble for Sabalenka as he loses the opening point and then double faults for the fourth time to put Rybakina 0-30 up.
Sabalenka can’t find her first serve at the moment, but a clean forehand winner down the line makes it 15-30.
Excellent depth from Rybakina forces Sabalenka to dump a backhand into the net, bringing up two break points.
Rybakina sends a forehand return long on the first, but she is gifted the break as Sabalenka hits another double fault.
Rybakina will serve for the set.
Better from Sabalenka as her power comes to the fore to take the opening point.
A poor error from Rybakina then makes it 0-30, and another forehand goes wide to hand Sabalenka three break points.
Rybakina saves one with a big first serve, but Sabalenka then plays an excellent point, finishing it off with a backhand pass and we are back on serve.
Rybakina looks the more complete player at the moment as she turns defence into attack to win the opening point of the game.
A double fault makes it 15-30 but Sabalenka hits back with an ace to bring it back to 30-30.
A lengthy rally goes in Sabalenka’s favour and she lets out a roar. She knew she needed that point.
A backhand winner after a second serve gives Sabalenka the game and she is hanging in there.
Rybakina’s serve is such a huge weapon. Sabalenka cant get it back into play as the Wimbledon champion moves into a 30-0 lead.
Rybakina then proves her class in the next rally, forcing Sabalenka from side to side to move 40-0 up.
Another ace rounds off a routine hold and she’s two games clear again.
Much better from Sabalenka as she wins the opening two points of the game with some forceful groundstrokes.
Rybakina finds the net to hand Sabalenka a 40-0 advantage.
A backhand flies long from Sabalenka, but she nails her next backhand to stay within touching distance on the scoreboard.
Rybakina is showing far more consistency so far and she races into a 40-0 lead.
Sabalenka wins an excellent rally, forcing an error from Rybakina, but the Wimbledon closes out the game with a huge backhand.
Some outstanding serving so far as Rybakina fails to return any of Sabalenka’s first three serves of the game.
Rybakine takes advantage of facing a rare second serve as she powers a backhand winner into the corner.
That’s the best rally so far as Rybakina shows good defensive skills and then nails a forehand passing shot to take the game to 40-30.
And all of a sudden we’re at deuce after an excellent return lands right on the baseline from Rybakina.
A second double fault of the match from Sabalenka hands Rybakina a break point, and a wild forehand from Sabalenka allows Rybakina to edge in front.
Rybakina takes the opening point with a forceful backhand but Sabalenka hits back after a fine return.
An ace from Rybakina puts her 30-15 up, and another puts her in control of her first service game.
Make that three aces, and we are all level early on.
Not the start that Sabalenka would have wanted as she begins with a double fault, but she responds by sending down an ace.
The Belarusian then hits a forehand winner and forces an error from Rybakina to bring up game point.
Another ace and it’s a comfortable hold in the end.
Sabalenka won the toss and has elected to serve.
The warm-up is complete and the action is about to start…
Rybakina and Sabalenka take to the court to huge cheers from the capacity crowd.
They will have a short warm-up and then the final will get underway.
Rybakina dominated behind her serve against Azarenka on Thursday, and will surely be looking for much of the same against Sabalenka.
Sabalenka’s forehand has been a major weapon throughout the tournament, and she is likely to rely on it again today.
If she starts dictating rallies on that side, it could be difficult for Rybakina to stop here.
Rybakina has admitted that she was very nervous before the Wimbledon final last year, but she managed to gather herself to overcome Ons Jabeur.
The 23-year-old believes she is calmer now as she prepares to play in her first Australian Open final.
We are around 30 minutes from the final getting underway.
Home favourite Ashleigh Barty was a popular winner last year. Who will triumph this time around?
Rybakina was a surprise winner at Wimbledon last year but has proved it was no fluke with her run in Melbourne.
The Kazakh star beat two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals, and is now just one match away from claiming her second grand slam trophy.
Sabalenka has made serene progress through the tournament, having not dropped a set in any of her six matches to date.
She swept aside Poland’s Magda Linette on Thursday to move into her first grand slam final.
We are now less than an hour away from the action getting underway, with the final due to start at approximately 8:30am (UK time).
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the women’s Australian Open final between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka.
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