Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will vie for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup in the 2023 Australian Open final on Saturday (January 28).
Sabalenka has been in phenomenal form over the last few months. She entered the Australian Open on the back of a runner-up finish at the WTA Finals and a title-winning run at the Adelaide International 1.
The Belarusian outclassed Czech tennis player Linda Noskova in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(4) to lift the title at the WTA 500 event. She kicked off her quest for a first Grand Slam title in Melbourne with a solid win over Tereza Martincova 6-1, 6-4, and continued to strengthen her grip in the next few rounds.
The fifth seed defeated the likes of Shelby Rogers, Elise Mertens, Belinda Bencic, Donna Vekic, and Magda Linette en route to the final. She is currently on a 10-match win streak and hasn't dropped a set in the new 2023 season.
Elena Rybakina, on the other hand, has once again stunned the tennis fraternity with her brilliant performances at a Major tournament. She entered the Australian Open on the back of early exits at the Billie Jean King Cup, Adelaide International 1, and Adelaide International 2.
However, the 22nd seed found her best form in Melbourne, chalking up competent wins over the likes of Danielle Collins, Iga Swiatek, Jelena Ostapenko, and Victoria Azarenka en route to her second Grand Slam final in the last seven months. She defeated the two-time Grand Slam champion Azarenka in straight sets 7-6(4), 6-3 in the last four.
An engrossing encounter is on the cards as the in-form Sabalenka takes on big-match player Rybakina in the final. The Belarusian will have a slight psychological edge as she leads their current head-to-head 3-0.
However, Rybakina is known to have a solid mental game in big matches and is very much capable of having a say in the finals. It will be interesting to see if she can stop Sabalenka's 10-match win streak and lift the second Grand Slam title of her career.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina match schedule
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will compete for the Australian Open title during the night session at the Rod Laver Arena.
Date: January 28, 2023.
Match timing: Not before 7:30 pm local time, 2:00 pm IST, 8:30 am GMT, 3:30 am ET.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina streaming details
Here's a list of countries and their respective channels on which the 2023 Australian Open women's final between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will be broadcast:
ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, & ESPN+ - USA
TSN & RDS - Canada
Eurosport - United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
Nine & Stan Sport - Australia
beIN Sports - Middle East and North Africa
SuperSport - Sub-Saharan Africa
CCTV, iQIYI, GreatSports Media (Shanghai TV), Guangdong TV - China
Eurosport - Europe
WOWOW - Japan
ESPN International - Latin and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean
Sony Six, Sony Ten, & Sony Liv - India
For more information regarding the broadcast of the 2023 Australian Open, click here.