Melbourne – In a surprising upset at the Australian Open, world No. 2 Iga Świątek‘s championship run has ended with a straight-sets defeat to no. 5 Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinal round Tuesday[[1]]. The loss halts Świątek’s bid for her first title at Melbourne Park, despite a fourth-round victory over Maddison Inglis earlier in the tournament[[2]], [[3]]. Rybakina advances to the semifinal, continuing a strong showing in the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek’s quest for the Australian Open title is over after a stunning quarterfinal defeat to Elena Rybakina.
Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, was looking to add an Australian Open crown to her impressive resume, but fell short against the powerful Kazakh player.
Rybakina overcame a shaky start to her serve and ultimately overpowered Swiatek, securing a straight-sets victory with a score of 2-0.
“I’m really happy with the win. I think in the second set I just started to play more freely and serve better,” Rybakina said, according to the Associated Press.
The No. 5 ranked Rybakina now advances to the semifinals, where she will face either American Jessica Pegula or Amanda Anisimova. This marks another deep run in a major for Rybakina, who continues to establish herself as a force on the WTA tour.
