Elena Rybakina recovered from an alarming mid-match slump to reach her second consecutive Miami Open final with a 6-4 0-6 7-6(2) win over three-time champion Victoria Azarenka.
The Kazakhstani player got off to a strong start by taking a hard-fought opener, but then won just five points in a bagel second set as Azarenka roared back into contention.
Rybakina, who pulled out of Indian Wells earlier this month with a virus and has been nursing an ankle issue, took a bathroom break between sets and rediscovered some form on her return, eventually claiming victory in a deciding tie-break.
The fourth seed, who is the highest-ranked player left in the draw, will face Danielle Collins or Ekaterina Alexandrova for the title on Saturday.
She will be looking to avenge last year’s final defeat to Petra Kvitova, a result that denied her a ‘Sunshine Swing’ double after winning at Indian Wells.
Rybakina’s winner tally quickly hit double figures after a tough series of early holds from both players, but she faced her first big question in game six.
Facing two break points at 15-40, Rybakina produced three aces in a row on her way to a big hold, and followed that up with the only break of the set as a double fault and forehand error at deuce cost Azarenka.
Serving for the set, Rybakina did not back down and found a series of big serves for a love hold that put one foot in the final.
But two-time Grand Slam winner Azarenka, 10 years her opponent’s senior, showed all her champion quality with her response, holding twice either side of an early break for a 3-0 lead in the second set.
Things unravelled further for Rybakina as she had an unusually sloppy service game, failing to win a point as the Belarusian took advantage of a series of unforced errors to claim the double break.
Azarenka’s dominance continued as a huge forehand winner into the corner made it 5-0, and a third break made it a bagel in favour of the 27th seed, who dropped just five points in the entire second set to seize the momentum.
However, Rybakina dusted herself down and got back to business in the decider, finally ending a seven-game losing streak with a hold before finding a break at the fifth attempt midway through the set.
But a fired-up Azarenka would not back down and broke back while Rybakina was serving for the match, racing to fetch a drop shot before raising her finger to her ear in celebration.
A hold apiece set up a decisive tie-break, where Rybakina’s big serve came to the fore as she edged out a tight contest lasting two hours and 33 minutes.
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