Rybakina Stuns Swiatek to Reach Australian Open Semifinals
Elena Rybakina delivered a commanding performance to upset second-seeded Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-2 in the Australian Open quarterfinals on Wednesday, setting up a semifinal clash with Jessica Pegula as Melbourne Park witnessed the fall of pre-tournament favorites.The 2022 Wimbledon champion's victory at Rod Laver Arena crushed Swiatek's hopes of completing a career Grand Slam, with the Polish star's serving struggles proving costly against Rybakina's aggressive baseline game. The fifth seed fired 11 aces and 26 winners while capturing eight of the final nine games to underline her dominance."Really pleased with the win," said Rybakina, who reached the 2023 Australian Open final before falling to Aryna Sabalenka. "We know each other pretty well and I was just trying to stay aggressive." The 26-year-old credited a calmer mindset for her improved performance under pressure, describing the match as "another day, another match" compared to her previous major final appearances.Swiatek, seeking her first Australian Open title to add to her six Grand Slam trophies, acknowledged her serving deficiencies throughout the contest. "My serve was kind of normal and sometimes it could have given me a bit more," the world number two told reporters, indicating technical adjustments she plans to implement in upcoming tournaments.Meanwhile, sixth-seeded Jessica Pegula advanced to her first Australian Open semifinal with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) victory over fellow American Amanda Anisimova. The 31-year-old has yet to drop a set in Melbourne this year and remains in pursuit of her maiden Grand Slam title."It's awesome," Pegula said of her breakthrough performance. "I feel like I play some good tennis here, I like the conditions." Her victory was aided by an error-prone display from fourth-seeded Anisimova, who committed 44 unforced errors compared to Pegula's 21.The Pegula-Rybakina semifinal presents an intriguing matchup between players who have split their six previous encounters 3-3. The winner will face either two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka or Ukrainian 12th seed Elina Svitolina in Saturday's final.Source: Al Jazeera
