(Melbourne) Elena Rybakina showed the way out of Australian Open favorite Iga Swiatek on Sunday, reaching the quarter-finals of this tournament for the first time in her career.
Rybakina, reigning Wimbledon champion and 22e seed in Melbourne, used her powerful serve to unseat Swiatek and had the best of the backcourt rally to win in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.
Swiatek has won three career Grand Slams, including titles at Roland Garros and the US Open last season.
Rybakina’s ranking does not adequately reflect her skills or results because her Wimbledon title last July did not come with any ranking points.
The WTA and ATP Tours withheld all points at Wimbledon in 2022 after the tournament banned Russian and Belarusian players from participating due to the invasion of Ukraine.
Rybakina was born in Moscow, but has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, when the country offered her funds to support her tennis career.