Elena Rybakina becomes first player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon
\n LONDON
\nIn a year when Russian players were banned from Wimbledon, Moscow-born Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to defeat Tunisia\u2019s Ons Jabeur 3-6 6-2 6-2 on Saturday to become the first player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles title.
\nWith Russian and Belarussian players banned from the grasscourt major following Moscow\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, Rybakina would have been excluded had she not switched allegiance from Russia in 2018 for better funding and support.
\nBut even if the repeated questions on her links to Russia during the past fortnight affected Rybakina mentally, it did not have any discernable impact on the 23-year-old\u2019s game.
\nIn a showpiece featuring two first-time Grand Slam finalists for the first time since 1962, the lanky Rybakina lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish after another power-packed performance to become the fifth different women\u2019s champion in as many editions.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s special because I was super nervous before the match (and) during the match and I\u2019m honestly happy that it is over,\u201d said Rybakina, who became the first woman to win a Wimbledon final from a set down since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve never felt something like this.\u201d
\nThe cool-as-cucumber Rybakina celebrated the win with barely a fist pump and just a fleeting smile in her typical demeanour.
\nBooming delivery
\nBefore Saturday\u2019s final, Rybakina and Jabeur had met three times and each had won a match apiece before the Kazakh retired due to illness in Chicago in their last showdown a year ago.
\nWorld number two Jabeur also came into the contest on an 11-match winning streak \u2014 all of them on grass.
\nRybakina\u2019s booming delivery was supposed to be a key factor in Saturday\u2019s contest but it was Jabeur who had less trouble holding serve in the opening stages on a sun-bathed Centre Court.
\nJabeur\u2019s ploy to mix things up with heavy slices and drop shots clearly upset Rybakina\u2019s rhythm as the Tunisian landed the first blow with a break in the third game.
\nStepping inside the baseline to punish her opponent\u2019s second serve, Jabeur made optimum use of her slices during the rallies to slow the pace down.
\nRybakina appeared to lose the plot while trailing 5-3 as she committed four unforced errors \u2014 including a double fault \u2014 to hand Jabeur a second break and with it the opening set in 32 minutes.
\n\u201cYou have an amazing game and I don\u2019t think that we have someone like this on Tour, you are a joy to play against,\u201d Rybakina said in praise of her opponent after being handed the gilded dish by the Duchess of Cambridge.
\n\u201cI ran today so much, I don\u2019t think that I need to do fitness any more.\u201d
\nSpitting fire
\nThe match was far from over and Rybakina looked a completely different player for the next 80 minutes.
\nHer red-framed racket was suddenly spitting fire while she demonstrated the agility to run down Jabeur\u2019s drop shots despite her tall frame.
\nThe momentum shifted in her favour as she nosed ahead in the second set with an early break. Jabeur tried to match Rybakina\u2019s power but instead her game unravelled. The drop shots started looking less tricky as Rybakina also cut down on her unforced errors.
\nThe Tunisian had three chances to level things up during a lengthy fourth game but Rybakina held firm and then broke Jabeur in the following game to take a 4-1 lead.
\nThree games later the 17th seed slammed down a 116mph ace to send the contest into a deciding set.
\nRybakina surged ahead in the final set by breaking Jabeur in the opening game.
\nKnown back home as \u2018Minister of Happiness\u2019, Jabeur by then cut a frustrated figure on the lush green lawns, screaming at herself in anger, despite enjoying the raucous backing of the Centre Court crowd.
\nJabeur got them more excited in anticipation of a fightback when she set up three break point chances in the sixth game but once again Rybakina shut her out.
\nThe Kazakh won five straight points to save the break points and then broke Jabeur again to leave the Tunisian, who was attempting to become the first African woman as well as first Arab to win a major, burying her face in her towel during the changeover.
\nRybakina appeared a bit nervous while serving for the match but then sealed the title on her first championship point as Jabeur sent a backhand wide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Elena Rybakina becomes first player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon LONDON In a year when Russian players were banned from Wimbledon, Moscow-born Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to defeat Tunisia\u2019s Ons Jabeur 3-6 6-2 6-2 on Saturday to become the first player from Kazakhstan to win a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":270747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-270738","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n