1 year ago
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Rybakina earned the 10th triumph of her vocation implicit a top-10 ranked opponent| Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 16-29 January |
| Coverage: Commentary each time from 07:00 GMT connected BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 'Tennis Breakfast' unrecorded from Melbourne, with selected unrecorded substance commentaries and lucifer reports connected the BBC Sport website & app |
Top effect Iga Swiatek is retired of the Australian Open aft losing to Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina successful the 4th round.
Rybakina, seeded 22nd, had struggled to replicate the displays which saw her triumph astatine the All England Club successful July.
But against Swiatek the Kazakh showed again however she thrives connected the large stage, playing confidently and powerfully successful a 6-4 6-4 triumph astatine Melbourne Park.
Less than fractional an hr later, Coco Gauff mislaid 7-5 6-3 to Jelena Ostapenko.
American seventh effect Gauff, 18, was among the favourites for the rubric but was overpowered by the 17th effect from Latvia.
Rybakina, 23, volition play erstwhile French Open champion Ostapenko successful the quarter-finals alternatively of the match-up betwixt Swiatek and Gauff that galore predicted.
"I americium tense each clip I americium connected tribunal but I effort to amusement calm. It is simply a large triumph and I'm blessed to beryllium successful different round," Rybakina said.
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Poland's Swiatek roseate to the apical of the satellite rankings past twelvemonth pursuing the status of Australia's Ashleigh Barty, going connected to triumph the French Open and US Open titles arsenic she dominated the WTA Tour.
Rybakina's occurrence has been much sporadic. Between claiming the astir prestigious rubric successful tennis and the commencement of this year's Australian Open, she won conscionable 14 of her 24 matches and has spoken retired astir the deficiency of designation she feels she has been given.
She has besides struggled with pugnacious draws, with her satellite ranking little than expected aft receiving nary points for her Wimbledon victory.
But she has made different awesome connection astatine Melbourne Park, reaching the past 8 for the archetypal clip with a ascendant triumph implicit Swiatek.
The brace exchanged breaks aboriginal successful the opening acceptable earlier a treble responsibility from Swiatek astatine 3-3 gave Rybakina different chance, which she took with a whopping cross-court backhand winner.
A assured clasp to emotion sealed the one-set advantage, but Swiatek improved astatine the commencement of the 2nd acceptable and moved into a 3-0 lead.
Rybakina rapidly fought backmost and levelled for 3-3 arsenic Swiatek struggled to woody with her hefty serve.
She dropped conscionable six points connected her archetypal service successful the lucifer and registered an awesome held to emotion to unafraid aft breaking for 5-4.
"It was a truly pugnacious match. I truly respect Iga," said Rybakina.
"Today I deliberation I was serving good. In the important moments I played truly good truthful it made the difference."
English (US)