By SABC Sport
29th March 2024
The Kazakhstani will play American Danielle Collins for the title after surviving a mid-match slump that saw her make 13 unforced errors in the second set.
Rybakina battled back after losing three straight games in the third set before winning 10 of the following 11 points to force the tiebreaker to book her place in Saturday's decider.
She told Sky Sports Tennis: "Physically I haven't been at my best this tournament and I knew if I was negative there is no chance for me to win any match and honestly, I didn't have any energy to cheer myself up and show it to the box.
"I was just trying to focus on myself and keep the energy for myself."
Collins reached her first WTA 1000 final, in what she says will be her final year on tour, with a 6-3 6-2 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The former Australian Open finalist needed just 75 minutes to beat the 14th seed, who had beaten world number one Iga Swiatek on her way to the last four.
Collins has won 12 straight sets since she lost her first of the tournament.