rybakina aces opening test in Dubai, ousts Birrell in one hour
Elena Rybakina demolished Kimberly Birrell in straight sets on Tuesday night ET, advancing to the third round of the Dubai Championships after a clinical 6-1, 6-2 victory that lasted just 60 minutes. The Australian Open champion continued her flawless start at this event, improving to 6-0 in Dubai openers and setting up a fresh matchup in the draw.
Blistering start sets the tone
From the first ball, Rybakina made it clear she intended to dominate. She won the opening eight points and 12 of the first 13, rocketing to a 5-0 lead before Birrell managed a hold. The first set took just 23 minutes, and Rybakina piled up 24 points to Birrell’s nine in that opener while converting every first-serve point she landed in the set.
The statistical edge was stark. Rybakina struck 19 winners, many of them decisive forehands that repeatedly pushed Birrell off court. Her first-serve production was near-perfect across the match, and she combined aggressive baseline hitting with authoritative serving to keep momentum firmly on her side.
Control through serve and groundstrokes
Even when the energy dipped slightly in the second set, Rybakina never relinquished control. She broke for a 2-1 lead and held to love for consolidation, then turned a 40-0 deficit into a break for 4-1 by winning five straight points. She closed out the match with a gutsy hold that saved three break points, underscoring her mental composure in tight moments.
Overall numbers underline the dominance: Rybakina won 91% of her first-serve points and 63% on her second serve. Those rates, paired with her 19 winners, overwhelmed Birrell and left little margin for the Australian to mount a sustained comeback. The match was a study in efficiency—Rybakina finished off the contest in an hour while minimizing errors and pressure on her own service games.
After the win she reflected on the performance in her on-court interview: "I started well and the serve was helping. Then in the second set, the energy dropped a little bit. I was not pushing as much with my legs. Overall, I’m happy with the result, with the match, and now I just need to rest and prepare for tomorrow. "
What comes next in Dubai
The victory moves Rybakina into a third-round meeting with Antonia Ruzic, a first at this level between the two. The Kazakh star will look to extend not only her run in the tournament but also a broader streak across the region: since 2023 she has compiled 23 WTA-level wins in Middle Eastern events, the most of any player in that span.
Rybakina also spoke about her affinity for the location, describing the surroundings as familiar and supportive: "I spend so much time here. So it feels like home. Actually, a lot of people who work here always say, 'Welcome back, welcome home, ' and it’s really nice. This tournament is actually quick, for me at least. I would gladly have it be a little bit longer with maybe a day in between (matches), but it’s a really nice atmosphere on the court and I feel a lot of support, so it’s really nice to play here. "
With a commanding display that mixed power, precision and poise, Rybakina sent a clear message to the rest of the draw: when her serve and ground game are firing, she is a formidable favorite on these courts. The third-round test will reveal whether she can sustain that form deeper into the week.
