Rybakina, 27, dropped just four points in a near-flawless service game against four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, who said after the match she was struggling with leg pain. She faced the 28-year-old full of confidence, having not dropped a set in the first three matches of the tournament, and took control of the match in a dominant first set. Reigning Australian Open champion Rybakina opened with a double break over Osaka and completed the set in just 21 minutes. Osaka put up more resistance early in the second set, but after failing to convert her only break point of the match, Rybakina soon took control again. She broke through and went ahead 4–3 before seeing out the match safely as Osaka was unable to counter her opponent’s deep groundstrokes. Rybakina finished the match in 66 minutes with her seventh ace in a match in which she scored a total of 29 winners to Osaka’s nine. Asked about the nearly six-year gap since her last major win at the 2021 Australian Open, Osaka said: “I’ve been thinking about it and if I win another Grand Slam, it won’t change my life. “It’s kind of crazy that I can say that because I remember the first Grand Slam I won, it was a huge whirlwind.” Post navigation Amazon plane crash sparks debate over need for runway buffers 4 Takeaways from Braves-Phillies: Ronald Acuña Jr. is looking back a lot, Phillies bullpen could be their downfall and more