Fifth seed Elena Rybakina beat world number one Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open final in Melbourne.

Elena Rybakina used a thunderous performance to beat Aryna Sabalenka ‍ 6-4 4-6 6-4 on Saturday to claim her first Australian Open title and turn the tables on the world number one in a rematch of the Melbourne Park final three years ago.

It was the first Grand Slam final without dropping a set since 2008, with top-seeded Sabalenka blinking first under the Rod Laver Arena roof and Rybakina giving it her all, breaking and seizing control in the opening game.

The Kazakh fifth seed’s huge groundstrokes caused all kinds of problems for two-time champion Sabalenka, who easily held set point in the tenth game and ultimately sent a wake-up call into her opponent’s dugout.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka, who has won 46 of her last 48 hard-court Grand Slam matches, found her groove and started the second set with a more positive attitude, but Rybakina saved three break points to level the score at 1-1.

Rybakina’s wayward forehand gave Sabalenka the chance to level the set, and the Belarusian jumped at the chance to turn the final set into a penalty shootout, destined to be decided by one player.

In the 2023 title match, Sabalenka defeated Rybakina under similar circumstances. Sabalenka hit a series of winners to lead 3-0, but the Kazakh erased the deficit and broke serve 4-3 to seal the victory and add to her 2022 Wimbledon victory.