| Place: Melbourne Park Dates: January 16-29 |
| protection: Commentary every single day from 07:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 Sports activities Additional ‘Tennis Breakfast’ dwell from Melbourne, with chosen dwell textual content commentary and match reviews on the BBC Sport web site and app |
Prime seed Iga Swiatek will miss the Australian Open after shedding to Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina within the fourth spherical.
Rybakina, ranked twenty second, has struggled to copy the performances that noticed her win on the All England Membership in July.
Towards Swiatek, nonetheless, the Kazakh as soon as once more confirmed how she thrives on the massive stage, taking part in with confidence and energy within the 6-4 6-4 win at Melbourne Park.
Lower than half an hour later, Coco Gauff was down by a rating of 7-5, 6-3 Jelena Ostapenko.
The seventh-seeded American, 18, was among the many favorites to win the title, however he beat the seventeenth-seeded Latvian.
Rybakina, 23, will play former French Open champion Ostapenko within the quarter-finals as a substitute of the match between Swatek and Gauff that many anticipated.
“I get nervous each time I am on the court docket however I attempt to be calm,” Rybakina stated. “It is a massive win and I am glad to be in for an additional spherical.”
The third workbook Jessica PegulaThe very best-ranked participant within the girls’s draw got here 7-5 6-2 over Czech Barbora Kreczkova.
She is going to face American Victoria Azarenka, twice champion in Melbourne, within the quarter-finals, after Azarenka defeated Chinese language Zhou Lin 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Swiatek “needed it a lot”
Polish Swiatek rose to the highest of the world rankings final 12 months after the retirement of Australian Ashleigh Barty, successful the French Open and US Open titles as she dominated the WTA match.
She reached the semifinals in Melbourne final 12 months, and after a stellar 2022, she’s again with the objective of being the primary girl since Serena Williams in 2015 to say three main titles.
“I felt like I took a step backwards by way of the best way I strategy these tournaments and possibly I want it had been just a little robust,” she stated.
“So I will attempt to loosen up a bit extra.”
Rybakina’s success has been spotty. Between claiming tennis’ most prestigious title and beginning this 12 months’s Australian Open, she’s received simply 14 of her 24 matches and has spoken out in regards to the lack of recognition she feels she’s been given.
She additionally struggled with tough attracts, along with her world rating coming in decrease than anticipated after that Not receiving any factors For her victory at Wimbledon.
However she made one other spectacular assertion at Melbourne Park, reaching the final eight for the primary time with a dominant victory over Swatik.
The pair traded breaks early within the opening set earlier than a double fault from Swiatek at 3-3 gave Rybakina one other likelihood, which she took benefit of with a large backhand throughout the court docket.
Assured holding on to like sealed the one-set benefit, however Swiatek improved early within the second set and moved right into a 3-0 lead.
Rybakina fought again rapidly and leveled at 3-3 as Swiatek struggled to take care of her large serve.
She dropped simply six factors on her first serve of the match and scored a powerful efficiency to safe victory after breaking 5-4.
Rybakina says she is not “upset” about not getting rating factors at Wimbledon, however enhancing her world standings is a supply of motivation in Melbourne.
“Positive, that is motivation, however like I stated earlier than, I need to win each match, and irrespective of the factors, there are not any factors,” she stated.
“I like competitors, irrespective of the place I play. Proper now, I might say I do not actually have a look at these items.”
Ostapenko by no means doubted that she might win in one other self-discipline
Ostapenko turned a French Open teen champion practically six years in the past, however the lack of deep runs since then has many shrugging off her as one of many wonders of success.
Nonetheless, in opposition to Gauff she confirmed robust placing and aggressiveness which led her to the Roland Garros title in 2017.
Ostapenko scored 30 winners when she broke Gauff’s serve 3 times and likewise saved seven of the American’s eight break alternatives.
Though it is the primary time since Wimbledon in 2018 that Ostapenko has reached a serious quarter-final, the 25-year-old says she “actually did not actually doubt” she might win once more.
“My life has modified so much, so I wanted a number of years to actually get used to what occurred as a result of I used to be actually younger,” stated Ostapenko, who has by no means made it previous flip three at Melbourne Park.
“I all the time knew and believed in my recreation. If I play properly I can beat virtually anybody.
“I have been making an attempt to work extra on my consistency, particularly within the pre-season, simply to get on the sector and play my recreation.”
Gauff had not dropped a set in her earlier three matches, together with a second-round win over British prime seed Emma Raducano.
The younger prodigy, who misplaced to Swatik within the French Open ultimate final 12 months, received emotional throughout her press convention as her watch for a serious prize continues.
“I feel each loss is kind of beneath my management as a result of I really feel like I am a very good participant, however immediately she performed higher,” Gauff stated.
“There have been moments within the match the place I used to be annoyed as a result of I normally can work it out, however I really feel like I did not have a lot of a solution for what she was doing.
“There have been a number of issues I might have improved on, however general I feel she deserved to win.”