World number ‌one Aryna Sabalenka finally conquered her Indian Wells demons on Sunday, defeating Elena Rybakina 3-6 6-3 ⁠7-6(6) in a breathless ⁠final to claim the desert title for the first time and secure her 23rd career crown. Rybakina, a two-time Grand Slam champion, dominated the opening exchanges ⁠of the first set, breaking Sabalenka to surge into a 4-2 lead and exploiting the Belarusian’s backhand to close it out. But the four-time ‌Grand Slam champion dug deep, responding with a love hold to level at 1-1, and gradually turned the tide. A second break in the fourth game gave Sabalenka a commanding 4-1 lead, and although Rybakina pressed, the Belarusian’s intensity proved too much, as she took the set with four aces and conceded nine unforced errors to Rybakina’s 13. Sabalenka broke early to lead 3-1, only for Rybakina to claw back, level at 5-5 and take the lead for the first time ⁠in the set. ” The win caps an extraordinary week for the 27-year-old, who arrived in the Coachella Valley having recently got engaged to her Brazilian fiancee Georgios Frangulis.