Rybakina swept previous the 2022 French and US Open winner Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in 1hr 29min on Rod Laver Arena.
Elena Rybakina at Australian Open 2023. Picture: Twitter/@AustralianOpen
MELBOURNE – World primary Iga Swiatek was knocked out of the Australian Open Sunday as Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina blew the ladies’s draw wide open by beating the red-hot favorite in straight units.
Rybakina swept previous the 2022 French and US Open winner Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in 1hr 29min on Rod Laver Arena.
She strikes on to a quarter-final towards Jelena Ostapenko, who supplied the second upset of a loopy jiffy at Melbourne Park by knocking out seventh seed Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-3 on the neighbouring Margaret Court Arena.
Rybakina’s victory means the highest two seeds in each the boys’s and girls’s singles are all out of the primary Grand Slam of the yr earlier than the last-eight stage.
“It was a really tough match and I really respect Iga,” mentioned Rybakina, the twenty second seed.
“She’s a young player and think she played really well,” she added of the 21-year-old from Poland. “It’s a big win and I’m just happy to get to another round.”
Swiatek led 40-0 on her opening service sport and 15-40 on Rybakina’s supply within the subsequent.
But it was the 6ft (1.84m) tall Russian-born participant, who now represents Kazakhstan, who confirmed her resilience and energy to win each for an early 2-0 lead.
The Pole composed herself to carry within the subsequent after which went on the assault, creating three break factors and changing the primary when Rybakina went lengthy to stage the set at 2-2.
At 3-3, 30-30, Swiatek’s first double fault gave Rybakina one other likelihood which she seized with a scorching backhand crosscourt return.
The Wimbledon champion comfortably served out, powering down her fourth ace on her first set level to maneuver forward after 42 minutes.
IMPORTANT MOMENTS
Swiatek stepped up at begin of the second set, attacking off her forehand and broke instantly for 2-0 to chants of “Iga, Iga” from a small, however noisy, contingent of Polish followers clad in pink and white.
The cries have been short-lived.
The 23-year-old Rybakina broke to like at 1-3 as Swiatek’s first serve abandoned her.
Rybakina, against this, was now firing down serves with energy and accuracy, her fifth ace serving to her to stage at 3-3.
“I think I was serving good and just struggling a bit on one side,” mentioned the composed Rybakina.
“But in the important moments I played really well and that made the difference.”
Swiatek had gained the pair’s solely earlier assembly in straight units at Ostrava in 2021.
But historical past counted for nothing towards the assured Kazakh who pressured Swiatek to save lots of two break factors at 4-4.
A sixth forehand winner of the match from Rybakina created a 3rd, which she took when the Pole netted and served out with ease to take the match.
Next door, Ostapenko edged a decent battle in an 1hr 33min, stepping up when it counted on the finish of every set to succeed in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park for the primary time.
“I knew she’s such a great player, super young and she’s playing really well but I really had nothing to lose,” mentioned Ostapenko, who gained at Roland Garros in 2017 and earned her fifth WTA Tour title in Dubai final yr.
“I just went there and tried to show my best and try to fight for every point and to make it hard for her and I’m really happy with the way I played.”
Ostapenko, whose final Grand Slam quarter-final got here at Wimbledon in 2018, has endured some robust injury-hit years since and had by no means earlier than overwhelmed a participant ranked contained in the top-10 on the Australian Open.
“I was trying to stay positive all the time,” mentioned Ostapenko. “And I knew I have to play aggressive, even if I miss some balls.
“At the top, I feel I stored her beneath a lot strain and it introduced me a win.”
