Rybakina saves set points vs. Pliskova to make Australian Open second round
Images | KTF press-service
No.3 seed Elena Rybakina recovered from a slow start to win her Australian Open first round 7-6(6), 6-4 over Karolina Pliskova in 1 hour and 33 minutes, saving triple set point in the first-set tiebreak along the way, KTF press-service reports.
Rybakina, who was runner-up in Melbourne last year to Aryna Sabalenka, has enjoyed a superb start to 2024. The Kazakhstani claimed her sixth career title in Brisbane two weeks ago, routing Sabalenka 6-0, 6-3 in the final, and now owns a 7-1 record this season.
The result maintained Rybakina's perfect record against two-time major finalist Pliskova. She now leads their head-to-head 4-0, including 8-0 in sets and 3-0 in tiebreaks. The 24-year-old will face the opposite dynamic in her second round against Anna Blinkova, though. No.57-ranked Blinkova, who defeated Cristina Bucsa 6-2, 6-4, won their only pro encounter in the 2017 St. Petersburg ITF W100 semifinals, as well as their only junior meeting in a Moscow clay-court final in 2014.
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Kazakh table tennis player wins gold at WTT Youth Contender Lignano 2024 in Italy
Images | Olympic.kz
Kazakhstan’s Zhaniya Bekmukhambetova won a gold medal in the U11 Girls' Singles finals at the WTT Youth Contender Lignano 2024 in Italy, Kazinform News Agency has learnt from Olympic.kz.
The 11-year-old Kazakh athlete participated in six matches, securing a victory in each. During the tournament, Bekmukhambetova defeated Lola Uria of Spain, Serena Rossati of Italy, Emily Cojocaru of Italy, Julia Fernandes of Spain, Bianca Toma of Romania, and Ayalguu Erdenekhuyag of Mongolia.
It was earlier reported that the Kazakhstani pocketed bronze in the U13 Girls' Singles finals of the WTT Youth Contender Lignano 2024.
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Nurkozha Kaipanov secures gold at World Championships - Non-Olympic weight categories in Tirana
Images | Olympic.kz
Kazakhstan's wrestler Nurkozha Kaipanov pocketed the 70kg Freestyle gold at the World Championships - Non-Olympic weight categories in Tirana, Albania. He became the second Kazakhstani male athlete to grab the gold medal at the tournament named after Rizabek Aitmukhan, Kazinform News Agency cites Olympic.kz.
Kazakhstan’s Nurkozha Kaipanov defeated Yoshinosuke Aoyagi of Japan 6-1 in the 70kg Freestyle category.
Nurkozha defeated the Japanese wrestler with a score of 5:3, thus claiming gold.
It bears to remind that the Kazakh athlete won silver at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in Astana.
Earlier it was reported that Yerzhet Zharlykassyn grabbed the 63kg Greco-Roman silver at the World Championships - Non-Olympic weight categories. Rizabek Aitmukhan won the 97kg freestyle gold at the U23 World Wrestling Championships in Tirana, Albania. Among womens, Zhamilya Bakbergenova (72kg) secured the silver medal at the Seniors World Wrestling Championships - Non-Olympic Weight Categories.
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