Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina stormed past world number one Iga Swiatek to set up an Indian Wells Masters final with Aryna Sabalenka on Friday.
The 23-year-old - who lost to Sabalenka in this year's Australian Open final - put Swiatek to the sword 6-2 6-2 in an emphatic display, taking just 75 minutes to defeat the number one seed.
In doing so, Rybakina made the final of a WTA 1000 event for the first time in her career, having previously only got as far as the quarter-finals in California, Wuhan and Cincinnati.
With her powerful serving doing the damage early on, Rybakina broke straight away for a 3-1 lead, and Swiatek crucially missed two break points of her own in the sixth game.
Rybakina took full advantage with another break in the eighth game to take the first set, and the writing was on the wall for Swiatek when a ruthless Rybakina won the first five games of the second set.
Swiatek won the next two games - breaking Rybakina while she was serving for the match to give herself a slice of hope - but the Kazakhstani broke once more in the eighth game to book a richly-deserved spot in the final.
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Despite winning just 43% of points behind her second serve, Rybakina thoroughly dominated the number one seed with seven aces compared to Swiatek's one, as well as saving three of the four break points that she faced on the day.
"There are moments you feel, 'OK, I can beat anyone if I always play like this'. It's the goal, but you never feel amazing and perfect every match. I think today it was really good from me," BBC Sport quotes Rybakina as saying on the court.
The world number 10 now faces a reunion with Sabalenka, who was also a comfortable victor in her semi-final with Greece's Maria Sakkari, prevailing 6-2 6-3 earlier in the day.
Sabalenka and Sakkari traded three successive breaks in the first set - two for the reigning Australian Open champion, who broke again in game eight to take the first set with aplomb.
Sabalenka's service game noticeably dropped in the second set with a few double faults, but she powered through to qualify for her fifth WTA 1000 final and first at Indian Wells.
The world number two boasts a 100% success rate from her previous four matches with Rybakina, most recently winning 4-6 6-3 6-4 in this year's Australian Open final.
Ben Knapton
