Elena Rybakina

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina on Wednesday set up a blockbuster semi-final at the Miami Open in a repeat of their Melbourne grand slam decider. Defending champion Sabalenka fended off big-hitting 45th-ranked American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 6-4. World No 2 Rybakina overcame fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula, a runner-up to Sabalenka last year, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. They will be back on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium — home of the N.F.L.’s Miami Dolphins — vying for a place in the final.

Dubai: World No 5 Elena Rybakina will headline a stellar field featuring Grand Slam champions, Olympic medallists and the game’s rising stars as the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open returns this season as a WTA 500 event at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City from January 31 to February 7. The 2024 Abu Dhabi champion has polished her game in a golden era of women’s tennis after historic Wimbledon success in 2022 set the Kazakh on her path to greatness. Rybakina has subsequently made it