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Elena Rybakina wins maiden WTA 1000 title in Indian Wells

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan won her first WTA 1000 title in Indian Wells on Sunday. In the two-week tournament, the 23-year-old only dropped one set. In the final, she beat Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(11) 6-4.

Rybakina had lost all previous encounters against Sabalenka in three sets. With this win, the reigning Wimbledon champion moves up three spots to world No.7 in the WTA rankings.

In a tight first set, the tenth-seeded Rybakina had her first set point up 6-5, but Sabalenka held. In the tiebreak, the second-seeded Sabalenka had set points at 7 and 11, but her opponent persevered finally on her sixth match point.