Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis: World No. 1 Elena Rybakina defeated Kazakhstani compatriot Yulia Putintseva in the Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis second round, 6-2, 6-3, to secure the Year-End No.1 spot for the first time in her career.
Rybakina produced a strong outing in Tokyo to beat Putintseva in the 70-minute contest, where she did not lose her serve and had to save the only break point in the final game of the match.
She won 75% of her first-serve points and 57% of her second-serve ones. The Kazakh also nailed six aces and finished the game with an ace only. "It's always difficult matches against Yulia," Rybakina said in her on-court interview. "I was ready for longer rallies. She plays a lot of drop shots and changing the rhythm, so I was happy I stayed focused, stayed aggressive, and a lot of things worked for me today.
"I think the closed roof a little bit also helped me. I like to play in these kinds of conditions. The ball is flying a bit faster; generally, I think the conditions suit me really well."
This will be the first year where Rybakina will end as the Year-End No.1. She was No. 3 at the end of 2023 and 2024 and No. 5 in 2025. Rybakina had become the World No.1 during her US Open 2026 win, when she captured her third Grand Slam.
The Kazakh now has a 3-2 record against Putintseva. She had lost her first two matches against Putintseva (at Rome 2020 and Indian Wells 2021). Rybakina then won a marathon 2-hour and 48-minute clash against her compatriot in the 2024 Madrid quarterfinals, 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 and then also beat her in the second round in Miami earlier this year.
This will be the first year where Rybakina will end as the Year-End No.1. She was No. 3 at the end of 2023 and 2024 and No. 5 in 2025. Rybakina had become the World No.1 during her US Open 2026 win, when she captured her third Grand Slam.
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Article Source: IANS