Aryna Sabalenka reaches Indian Wells final for the 3rd time in 4 years, will face Elena Rybakina

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka, a two-time runner-up at Indian Wells, will get another shot at winning the event after beating Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals Friday.

The top-ranked Sabalenka, from Belarus, dispatched Noskova in 1 hour, 28 minutes on Stadium Court 1 at the BNP Paribas Open.

She will face third-ranked Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the final Sunday. Rybakina handled ninth-ranked Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 7-5, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

Sabalenka's only loss in 2026 came against Rybakina in the Australian Open final. Sabalenka surely will be looking to avenge that one as well as her 0-2 record in Indian Wells finales.

“I’ll make sure that I’m more than ready on Sunday, and I’ll bring my best tennis, make sure that this is the year," Sabalenka said.

Sabalenka improved to 12-1 in 2026 with her victory Friday, which came after she reached the semifinals for the sixth consecutive WTA Tour event. Her last loss before that round came against Rybakina in the Cincinnati quarterfinals last August.

Sabalenka connected on 38 of 58 first serves against the 14th-seeded Noskova and notched 11 aces to reach the finale for the third time in four years.

“I would say that, yeah, serve was the biggest thing in this match," she said. "I was trying to stay focused on my serve and try to put as much as pressure as I could on her serve. And, lucky me, I got this win.”

Sabalenka has won 8 of 15 meetings against Rybakina, with two of those losses coming in their last two matchups. Rybakina won 78% percent of her first serves against Svitolina, who double faulted eight times in their semifinal.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, returns a shot against Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, during a semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, serves against Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, during a semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, returns a shot against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during a semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, returns a shot against Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, during a semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, returns a shot against Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during a semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, reacts after winning a game against Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, during a semifinal match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will miss the rest of the NHL season.

The team provided an injury update Friday night, a little under 24 hours since Matthews was knocked out of a game against Anaheim on a knee-on-knee hit from Radko Gudas.

The Leafs said Matthews has a Grade 3 MCL tear and a bruised quadriceps muscle and would be evaluated again in two weeks. Gudas was suspended five games for kneeing, the maximum the league's Department of Safety could levy because his hearing was by phone.

Matthews' agent, Judd Moldaver said in a statement that “in light of the obvious severity of the play, I am very disappointed and shocked that the league would allow for such a ruling.” Moldaver took issue with the decision to limit the suspension to five games.

In game, Gudas was given a major penalty and ejected.

“Dirty play,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said Thursday night. “League’s going to obviously look at it and see what the suspension will be or whatever happens.”

Trying to make a move around Gudas in the slot in the second period of Toronto’s 6-4 victory, Matthews stook a direct blow to his left leg and crashed to the ice. The U.S. Olympic captain stayed down before being helped to the locker room.

Gudas is the bruising Czech defender who ended Canadian captain Sidney Crosby’s Olympics in the quarterfinals with a hit.

“He’s done a few of those before in his career,” Toronto winger Matthew Knies said.

Gudas was asked following Anaheim’s morning skate about trying to contain Matthews.

“We go to be on top of him,” Gudas said. “We got to make sure that he doesn’t get space in the middle of the ice … make his night’s not enjoyable.”

Ducks coach Joel Quenneville defended his player.

“There’s no premeditation,” Quenneville said. “Reflexes did it.”

Matthews snapped a 12-game goal drought earlier in the period on a power play. He had 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games this season.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews, center, is helped off the ice after being injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) and Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas (7) lay on the ice after colliding during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) is helped off the ice after being injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews, left, is injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) is injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas (7) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)