Iga Swiatek's Australian Open dreams were dashed as she suffered a crushing quarter-final defeat to Elena Rybakina, ending her bid for the elusive career Grand Slam. The Polish 24-year-old had been on a tear in Melbourne, but ultimately fell short of achieving the impossible.
Swiatek's serve has long been a point of concern, and it proved to be her undoing against Rybakina. The Kazakh fifth seed ruthlessly exploited Swiatek's lack of confidence on the quicker Melbourne courts, taking advantage of the Pole's errant serving to take control of the match.
Despite trailing 5-1 in the first set, Swiatek fought hard to stay in contention, but ultimately succumbed to Rybakina's relentless pressure. The Kazakh's aggressive playing style from the baseline proved too much for the Polish star, who was unable to find her footing on the court.
Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion, had been attempting to become only the sixth woman in the Open era to win all four Grand Slam singles titles. However, it seems that this feat may remain elusive for now.
In a surprise upset, American sixth seed Jessica Pegula edged past fourth-seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2 7-6 (7-1) to set up a semi-final showdown with Elena Rybakina. The win marked a significant milestone in Pegula's career, and she will be eager to continue her momentum against the Kazakh.
Rybakina, meanwhile, will look to build on her impressive quarter-final performance as she prepares to face Pegula in what promises to be an exciting semi-final encounter.
Swiatek's serve has long been a point of concern, and it proved to be her undoing against Rybakina. The Kazakh fifth seed ruthlessly exploited Swiatek's lack of confidence on the quicker Melbourne courts, taking advantage of the Pole's errant serving to take control of the match.
Despite trailing 5-1 in the first set, Swiatek fought hard to stay in contention, but ultimately succumbed to Rybakina's relentless pressure. The Kazakh's aggressive playing style from the baseline proved too much for the Polish star, who was unable to find her footing on the court.
Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion, had been attempting to become only the sixth woman in the Open era to win all four Grand Slam singles titles. However, it seems that this feat may remain elusive for now.
In a surprise upset, American sixth seed Jessica Pegula edged past fourth-seed Amanda Anisimova 6-2 7-6 (7-1) to set up a semi-final showdown with Elena Rybakina. The win marked a significant milestone in Pegula's career, and she will be eager to continue her momentum against the Kazakh.
Rybakina, meanwhile, will look to build on her impressive quarter-final performance as she prepares to face Pegula in what promises to be an exciting semi-final encounter.
, can't blame her for getting frustrated with that serve of hers, it just kept giving away points. Tough break on the Aussie Open dreams 
, I was hoping she'd get that career Grand Slam. Rybakina played great though, totally outmaneuvered Swiatek and deserved the win 
. Pegula's going to be a tough one for her next 
, hope Elena bounces back stronger 
, but Rybakina just played her dirty 
. I mean, who serves like that? 
Iga's always had a tough time with her serve, but I thought she was getting better at it... guess not 
. And now Jessica Pegula gets to play in the semis instead 
, which is kinda cool I guess 
. Rybakina's gonna have to bring her A-game if she wants to beat Pegula tho 
, that one's gonna be a toughie 
. Rybakina was just way more aggressive from the baseline and took advantage of Iga's lack of confidence on the court 
. And then that surprise upset with Pegula - what a twist! 
Can't wait to see how that semi-final goes between them! 
. Rybakina's gonna have to bring it up another level if she wants to take down Pegula in the semis. Bring. It. 
. First of all, congrats 2 her on that sick win over Anisimova 
!
. Can't wait for this semi-final showdown, it's gonna be a real barnburner!
), make the best of it! Iga Swiatek's loss might have been tough to swallow, but she showed incredible heart and grit by fighting back from 5-1 down. That takes a lot of courage and resilience. We all face setbacks in life, but how we respond to them is what truly matters. Can we learn from Iga's experience? 
. It's not like Iga wasn't playing well overall, she just had an off day on the serves and that's what decided the match for her sadly 
! She was so close to winning that elusive career Grand Slam, but just couldn't get past Elena Rybakina 
. But you gotta respect Iga for fighting hard till the end 
. The semi-finals are gonna be lit 
to the winner. Can't wait for Jessica Pegula's semi-final match tho 
, she's going to give Rybakina a run for her money 
. But Swiatek was on fire for most of the match, and it's frustrating to see her mistakes cost her the win. Guess you can't rely on just one player to carry you through 
Can't wait to see what Pegula brings to the table against Rybakina, that match is gonna be 
! Should be an epic semi between them 
... it's so frustrating when players like Iga Swiatek have moments of brilliance and then fall apart under pressure 
. That Rybakina girl is tough, no doubt about it