Melbourne: Elena Rybakina delivered a commanding performance to storm into the Australian Open semifinals, defeating World No. 2 Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 in Wednesday’s quarterfinal clash.
The fifth seed, playing her first Melbourne semifinal since reaching the final in 2023, flipped the match decisively by winning eight of the last nine games in a 1 hour and 35-minute encounter. With the victory, Rybakina leveled her head-to-head record against Swiatek at 6-6.
Rybakina’s power game proved too much for the Pole, as she fired 11 aces among 26 winners and committed just 19 unforced errors—14 of them coming in a tightly contested first set. Despite landing only 49 percent of her first serves, the 2025 WTA ace leader was near untouchable after early trouble, losing just 12 points across her final eight service games.
After being broken in the opening game, Rybakina showed resilience by saving a 0-40 deficit at 1-1 in the first set. Nine of the first 12 games went to deuce before the Kazakh seized control, raising her level dramatically in the second set.
“I’m really pleased with the win,” Rybakina said on court. “We know each other pretty well, and I was just trying to stay aggressive. In the second set, I played more free and served better.”
Swiatek struggled to match the intensity, managing only 10 winners while her error count rose to 25. “In the second set, the pace from her got even higher,” Swiatek admitted. “She was more precise, and I dropped intensity a bit at the start.”
The win marked Rybakina’s 18th victory in her last 19 matches and her eighth consecutive win over a Top 10 opponent, underlining her red-hot form following an undefeated title run at the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh.
Rybakina will next face No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula, who advanced with a 6-2, 7-6(1) win over Amanda Anisimova, with a place in the Australian Open final on the line.
“I’m trying to stay aggressive whenever I get the chance,” Rybakina said. “That’s the most important thing for my game.”
Source:WTA
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