Swiatek | Pakistan

Fifth seed Elena Rybakina booked her place in the Australian Open semi-finals on Wednesday with a dominant second-set display to hand six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek a 7-5 6-1 defeat at Melbourne Park. Looking to lift the trophy for the first time, the 28-year-old will take on American Jessica Pegula for a place in Saturday’s final. Rybakina fired 11 aces and 26 winners as she ended Swiatek’s career Grand Slam bid on Rod Laver Arena, winning eight of the last nine games to underline her authority. Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina celebrates after winning her quarter final match against Poland’s Iga Swiatek. —Reuters ‘Really pleased with the win,’ said Rybakina. ‘We know each other pretty well and I was just trying to stay aggressive. ‘I feel like in the first set for both of us the first serve wasn’t working so we were trying to step in on the second serve to put pressure on each other. ‘I think in the second I just started to play more free, serve better and I’m really happy with the win.’ Swiatek had ma...

Iga Swiatek weathered an unexpected storm to reach the US Open third round on Thursday, while defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner delivered a masterclass and Naomi Osaka rediscovered her groove at Flushing Meadows. But the day’s most dramatic moments belonged to Coco Gauff, who wiped away tears mid-match before rallying to beat Donna Vekic and avenge her Olympic heartbreak from Paris. Second seed Swiatek, fresh from her Wimbledon triumph and Cincinnati title, was forced to grind it out against unseeded Suzan Lamens in a 6-1 4-6 6-4 thriller on Arthur Ashe Stadium that proved far trickier than expected. “It got a bit complicated in the second set, but I’m happy that I could reset and start playing better in the third,” said the 2022 champion, who sealed victory with an ace to set up a clash with 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya. World number one Sinner had no such trouble, dismantling Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-3 6-2 6-2 in ruthless fashion to book a third-round date with Canadian 27th seed Denis Shapovalov. Osak...

Iga Swiatek survived a second-set scare to beat the Netherlands’ Suzan Lamens 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on Thursday, as the 2022 champion battled back on Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the US Open third round. The second seed has looked like a top contender after picking up her sixth major at Wimbledon and clinching the Cincinnati tune-up tournament and she cleaned up some mid-match errors to keep her campaign on track. She will play 29th seed Anna Kalinskaya in the third round. Swiatek was in control as she broke in the second game when her opponent hit the ball long and she saved a break point in the third game with an unreturnable serve. The Pole broke her opponent from the baseline again in the sixth game, as Lamens was unable to fire off a single winner in the first set. It looked as though it would be a similar story when Lamens went down an early break in the second set, but the Dutchwoman showed signs of life when she hit a backhand winner that just hit the baseline to level it in the fourth game. Swiatek retaliate...

Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner showed their championship pedigree at the US Open on Tuesday with commanding displays at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, walloping their first-round opponents on the third day of first-round action at the newly expanded major. Wimbledon champion Swiatek arrived in pristine form after capturing the Cincinnati title and made quick work of Emiliana Arango 6-1 6-2 in just an hour, never facing a break point. The 2022 winner acknowledged the unique challenge of New York’s atmosphere afterwards. “Every year is tough, because New York is just so loud, and it’s hard to find that balance off the court,” she said. “But I’ve got to say I’m probably good at it compared to other players, so I’m really trying to be in my bubble.” She next plays the Netherlands’ Suzan Lamens. Top-ranked defending men’s champion Sinner followed suit with an equally dominant performance, swatting aside Czech Vit Kopriva 6-1 6-1 6-2. The Italian, who had entered last year’s tournament under the dark cloud of a doping con...