Rybakina decimates Swiatek in Aus Open quarterfinals
Melbourne, Jan 28
Elena Rybakina ended world No.2 Iga Swiatek's hopes in the Australian Open quarterfinals on Wednesday with a dominant 7-5 6-1 victory at Rod Laver Arena.
The fifth seed from Kazakhstan foiled the Pole's 2026 bid for the career Grand Slam - her sustained power and precision were decisive in the 93-minute showdown. Unbeaten at last year's WTA Finals, this was her eighth straight top-10 win.
Early breaks were traded as the pair took time to settle into their 12th career meeting, with Swiatek having claimed six of those.
Rybakina pulled away in the 1 hour and 35-minute match by winning eight of the last nine games, and leveled her all-time record against Swiatek to 6-6 in the process.
After she was broken in the first game of the match, the 2025 ace leader on the WTA Tour rounded into form on serve in stunning fashion -- despite only landing 49% of her first serves in the match. She dug out of a 0-40 deficit at 1-1 in the first set, and only lost 12 points in eight subsequent service games, WTA reports.
Swiatek was the youngest player to make six successive major quarterfinals since Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2003.
Rybakina earned her 18th victory in her last 19 matches, dating back to last October, and her eighth consecutive win over a Top 10 player.
"I feel like in the first set for both of us, the first serve was not really working, so we tried to step in on the second serve, put pressure on each other, and I think in the second I just started to play more free, serve better. I'm just really happy with the win," Rybakina said after the win.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion awaits the winner of the all-American quarterfinal between No. 4 seed Amanda Anisimova and No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula in the hopes of reaching her third career Grand Slam singles final.
— IANS
Reader Comments
A bit sad for Iga, but you have to give full credit to Elena. Winning 8 of the last 9 games shows incredible mental strength. The match turned completely after she saved those break points early on. That's where champions are made.
Respectful criticism: The article focuses a lot on stats, which is fine, but I wish it gave more insight into Swiatek's game plan or what went wrong for her. Was it just Rybakina's power, or did Iga's strategy fail? Still, a great win for the Kazakh player.
Watching from India, the match timing was perfect! Rybakina is such a clean striker of the ball. To dominate a player of Swiatek's caliber like that in a Grand Slam quarterfinal is a huge statement. The semifinal should be a cracker.
️ 18 wins in 19 matches is just insane form. She's the player to beat right now. Hope she goes all the way and wins the title. We need more such powerful and consistent players at the top. The WTA tour is getting more interesting by the day.
As an Indian tennis fan, it's thrilling to watch these high-quality matches. The level of athleticism is next level. Both are fantastic ambassadors for the sport. Tough luck for Swiatek's career Grand Slam bid, but she's young and will have more chances.
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