Elena Rybakina produced a spirited fightback on Wednesday evening, defeating Jessica Pegula in three sets to advance at the Miami Open.
With Rybakina a set down to the American, Pegula had multiple break-point opportunities at 2-2 in the second set.
Unfortunately for fans of the American, she was unable to convert any of these opportunities, and her own serve was broken in the subsequent service game.
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Rybakina closed out the second set with minimal fuss, broke early in the third set, and later secured a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over her top-five ranked peer.
By clinching a semi-final berth on Wednesday, Rybakina secured her place in the tennis history books.
Elena Rybakina has made 13 WTA 1000 semi-finals
Rybakina’s Miami Open run marks the 13th occasion during which the Kazakh has reached the semi-finals of a WTA 1000 event.
As per statisticians OptaAce, Rybakina has surpassed Li Na [pictured below] for the outright-most of any player representing an Asian country since the format’s introduction in 2009.
Na, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, made her first WTA 1000 semi-final at the 2006 German Open – defeating Ana Ivanovic, Nathalie Vierin, Catalian Castano, and Patty Schnyder before losing to eventual champion Nadia Petrova.
Eight years later, Na recorded her final semi-final appearance at a WTA 1000 event at the 2014 Indian Wells Open.
Na, seeded first at the event, lost to eventual champion and future US Open champion Flavia Pennetta in the last four.
Returning to Rybakina, the world number two will play Hailey Baptiste or world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the Miami Open semi-finals.
If Rybakina does play Sabalenka, it will be the third time they have met on the Tour this year following their clashes in the Australian Open final and Indian Wells final.
Rybakina won the initial meeting, winning her second Grand Slam title.
Sabalenka later avenged the loss in Indian Wells, saving a championship point before defeating the 26-year-old 3-6, 6-3, 7-6.
Elena Rybakina’s Miami Open run
- Round One: Bye
- Round Two: defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-3
- Round Three: defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-4
- Round Four: defeated Talia Gibson 6-2, 6-2
- Quarter-finals: defeated Jessica Pegula 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
- Semi-finals: Aryna Sabalenka or Hailey Baptiste
Li Na’s only WTA 1000 title
At the 2012 Cincinnati Open, Li Na won her first and only WTA 1000 title.
The Chinese star, who had won her first Grand Slam title 14 months prior at the French Open, began her Cincinnati campaign by defeating Sorana Cirstea and Johanna Larsson, before demolishing former world number two Agnieszka Radwańska 6-1, 6-1.
A 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Venus Williams followed, setting up a clash with Angelique Kerber in the final.
Na ultimately prevailed, defeating the German 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Na’s win ended the Chinese star’s three-match losing streak in WTA 1000 finals.
After the final, Na spoke of her desire to win a first WTA 1000 title.
No, today I was watch the Roger [Federer],” she said. “He was taking the photo and I was have lunch. I was thinking, Okay, I really want to do the same. Yeah, in the upstairs.
“So after I was do the same I was feeling, ‘okay, I can do the same.’
“How do you say, last night I really want to win the title for first one, you know, because this year I got three time in the final but I never won one title.
“So I really hungry about for the title.”
