World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka reached her third WTA 1000 final in Indian Wells on Friday, defeating No. 14 Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4.
The Belarusian star, who is chasing her first Indian Wells title after finishing runner-up in 2023 and 2025, could face Elena Rybakina in a rematch of the Australian Open final won by Rybakina in January.
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Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, who also defeated Sabalenka in the 2023 Indian Wells final, faces ninth-ranked Ukrainian veteran Elena Svitolina in the other semi-final.
Sabalenka hit 37 winners, including 11 aces, and applied relentless pressure on her 21-year-old opponent from the baseline.
She broke Noskova’s big serve twice in the first set and led 5-1.
There were some problems when she tried to serve to win the set, and Sabalenka lost just one point in her first three service games, getting broken.
Noskova held on tenaciously in the marathon eighth game, defusing the set point with a winning serve and sealing the victory with an ace.
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Sabalenka once again served to win the set. She made a double fault at the beginning and fell behind 0-30. However, two big serves and a backhand winner helped her get the set point and sealed it with an ace.
Sabalenka broke Noskova’s second opener and was on her way. Noskova withstood a second break point, but she failed to capitalize on a break opportunity in the eighth game as Sabalenka took the lead and sealed the victory with a forehand winner on the third match point.
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