Elena Rybakina has continued her outstanding form at the start of the clay season as the fourth-seeded Kazakh ousted 72nd-ranked Mayar Sherif 6-1 6-4 in the Madrid third round.
Rybakina, who won four matches en route to winning Stuttgart last year, is now on a six-match winning streak after also winning her opening two matches at a WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid.
Going into the match, Rybakina was considered the big favorite. And against Sherif, Rybakina’s win was never in doubt as the 2022 Wimbledon champion controlled the match from the start until the end.
For a place in the Madrid quarterfinal, Rybakina will be playing against 18-year-old Czech teenager Sara Bejlek. When Rybakina and Bejlek meet, it will be their first meeting.
Elena Rybakina © Getty Images Sport – Julian Finney
How Rybakina defeated Sherif?
Early in the first set, Rybakina and Sherif played a marathon game as the Kazakh claimed an early break after converting her seventh break point in the second game.
Up by a break, Rybakina saved a break point in the third game before breaking Sherif again in the following game to go up by a double break. In the sixth game, Sherif finally got on the board but Rybakina remained unfazed, routinely serving out for the first set in the seventh game.
After clinching the opener, Rybakina saved two consecutive break points in the second game before breaking Sherif in the third game to go up by a set and a break.
With Sherif 3-5 down and serving to stay in the match, Rybakina had a chance to close out the match but missed out on four match points. However, Rybakina stayed calm and realized her fifth match point on her serve in the 10th game.
Elena Rybakina © Getty Images Sport – Julian Finney
“I think we played really well in the whole match. Despite the score, it was a very tough match. It was a lot of deuces and we both fought a lot. I’m really happy with the performance today,” Rybakina said after beating Sherif.
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