Rybakina saves set points vs. Pliskova to make Australian Open second round
Images | KTF press-service
No.3 seed Elena Rybakina recovered from a slow start to win her Australian Open first round 7-6(6), 6-4 over Karolina Pliskova in 1 hour and 33 minutes, saving triple set point in the first-set tiebreak along the way, KTF press-service reports.
Rybakina, who was runner-up in Melbourne last year to Aryna Sabalenka, has enjoyed a superb start to 2024. The Kazakhstani claimed her sixth career title in Brisbane two weeks ago, routing Sabalenka 6-0, 6-3 in the final, and now owns a 7-1 record this season.
The result maintained Rybakina's perfect record against two-time major finalist Pliskova. She now leads their head-to-head 4-0, including 8-0 in sets and 3-0 in tiebreaks. The 24-year-old will face the opposite dynamic in her second round against Anna Blinkova, though. No.57-ranked Blinkova, who defeated Cristina Bucsa 6-2, 6-4, won their only pro encounter in the 2017 St. Petersburg ITF W100 semifinals, as well as their only junior meeting in a Moscow clay-court final in 2014.
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Elena Rybakina wins eighth WTA title in her career
Images | KTF press-service
Elena Rybakina won the WTA-500 tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, KTF press-service reports.
In the final, the Kazakhstan's No.1 defeated world's No. 27 Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, with confidence, 6:2, 6:2. For 1 hour and 9 minutes of playing time the Kazakh managed to realize four break points out of six.
In the semifinals, Elena defeated world's No.1 Iga Swiatek and thereby interrupted her potential hat-trick (the Pole won in Stuttgart in 2022 and 2023).
For winning the WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2024, Rybakina received 500 ranking points and a Porsche car. At the awards ceremony following the match, Elena thanked her team, coach and President of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation Bulat Utemuratov, who flew to Stuttgart to support Rybakina.
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Elena Rybakina on her victory.
Elena won her first title on the WTA Tour in 2019, which was the WTA 250 tournament in Bucharest. In 2020, she won the WTA 250 event in Hobart. In 2022, Rybakina became the Wimbledon champion. The year 2023 brought her two WTA 1000 trophies - Indian Wells and Rome. Earlier this year, Elena won the WTA 500 in Brisbane, followed by the victory in the event in Abu Dhabi a month later.
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Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye. Max Kanter wins the second stage
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The rider of Astana Qazaqstan Team Max Kanter takes a victory at the second stage of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye, Team’s official website reports.
The second day of the Turkish stage race started in Kemer and finished after 190 kilometers in Kaş. The stage had several steep climbs on the route and an uphill sprint in the final in which Max Kanter left no chances to his contenders and executed a perfect sprint. That is the first professional victory for the 26-year-old Max Kanter.
The plan was to go for the sprint with me today and the team completely believed in me. Big shout-out to my teammates, they supported me very well today, especially Ballerini in the final. Davide just came back to racing after an injury and did a perfect job leading me out, and I am glad that I could finish it off. I feel very emotional, it is my first professional victory. I was riding so long chasing this win and I am very happy to finally achieve it", - said Max Kanter.
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Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina advances to semis of WTA 500 tournament in Germany
Images | ktf.kz
World No.4 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan has reached to the semifinal of the 2024 Porsche Grand Prix Open in Stuttgart, Germany, Kazinform News Agency cites Sports.kz.
Rybakina of Kazakhstan defeated Jasmine Paolini of Italy, ranked 14th in the world, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the quarterfinal of the WTA Stuttgart Open 2024.
The Kazakhstani is to face off against the winner of the match Iga Świątek of Poland vs Emma Raducanu of Great Britain in the semifinal of the tournament.
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Rowers earn 34th Olympic quota for Kazakhstan
Images | Оlympic.kz
Rowers Sergey Emelyanov and Timur Khaidarov claimed another 2024 Paris Olympic Games berth in men’s 500m canoeing, Kazinform News Agency learned from Schrödinger Sports Telegram channel.
As the press service of the National Olympic Committee informed, the Kazakh rowing team is competing in the 2024 ACC Canoe Sprint Asian Championships & Olympic Qualifier being held in Tokyo, Japan, from April 18 to 23.
Emelyanov and Khaidarov finished first in men’s canoe double 500-meter final (01:44.213) and earned the only quota in this program.
Kazakhstan now has 34 Olympic quotas in 14 sports.
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Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan advances to quarterfinal of WTA Stuttgart Open
Images | ktf.kz
World number 4 Elena Rybakina advanced at the 2024 Porsche Grand Prix Open in Stuttgart, Germany, Kazinform News Agency cites Sports.kz.
Rybakina of Kazakhstan beat Veronika Kudermetova of Russia, ranked 19th in the world, 7-6, 1-6, 6-4 in Round of 16 of the WTA Stuttgart Open.
The Kazakhstani is to take on next the winner of the match between Jasmine Paolini of Italy and Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.
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