Google News Elena Rybakina: "Indian Wells is just the beginning. I want to be number 1"
by | VIEW 255
Elena Rybakina, with the victory against Aryna Sabalenka at the BNP Paribas Open, has got a great results. First of all that of having won a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time, but above all having avenged the painful defeat against the Belarusian a few months ago in the final at the Australian Open.
Before Sunday, the Kazakh had never managed to surpass the number two in the world. A double satisfaction therefore, which also projects it to the seventh position of the ranking. Here are her impressions at the press conference.
She said: "It's a fantastic feeling, it's been a difficult two weeks but really positive for me. I think the first set was crucial, we both had a lot of chances, but in the end it went my way, so I think that was the most important moment.
Then it was a little easier to start the second set with a break so early. The conditions were also difficult, they changed a bit with a lot of wind, so it became very difficult to play. Having this advantage in scoring made all the difference." On revenge against Sabalenka: "It was a different match from the one we played in Australia, especially in the first set, because she committed a couple of double faults which gave me an advantage, even if I then took advantage of this opportunity that other times I have not been able to grasp.
Obviously she made the difference, because she also served very well in Australia, she hit her second serve as fast as her first serve, she was really aggressive. Here I took my chances and was more aggressive. It wasn't easy to find the rhythm against this profile of players." There were moments of tension: "With the first serve it didn't work as I would have liked, of course, but that's how I got to this match.
With the second serve I tried to push more, I remember in Australia she put a lot of pressure with the second serve, so I knew I had to improve a lot in that aspect. I think here in Indian Wells, given the slightly slower conditions, it was much easier to play the next shot.
I also tried to change the second serve, I think it was also important at the end of this match." Now her head to Miami: "I'll try to concentrate on every game, because I think it's really difficult to face a challenge like this.
I know Iga did it, so I have a lot of respect for her, but the journey to Miami is still long, the conditions are totally different, it's very windy and very humid, so we'll have to adapt. I think this will be the goal at the end of the day, but when I go out on the court to compete I only think about this, as well as preparing for the next game." Finally on the big goal of her career: "Of course, I think the most great is to become n.
1, even if there is still a long way to go. But yeah, that would be the ultimate goal. For now I'm No. 7, but we know how fast the rankings change, so I have to focus only on the next tournament I play. I'm trying not to think too much about rankings, especially now that there's still a long way to go.
It's just the beginning of the year, it doesn't mean anything, there are many tournaments to play."
