MELBOURNE, Australia – There might be no showdown between Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff on the Australian Open. As an alternative, the players who beat them on Sunday – reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and 2017 French Open champion Yelena Ostapenko – will face off for a spot within the semi-finals.
Rybakina eliminated No. 1 seed Iga Świątek, 6-4, 6-4, on the Rod Laver Arena, while Ostapenko passed No. 7, 7-5, 6-3, Gauff, round the corner at Margaret Court Arena.
Each twenty second seed Rybakina, 23, representing Kazakhstan, and seventeenth seed Ostapenko, 25, from Latvia, qualified for the primary time within the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.
“I played well in the massive moments,” said Rybakina, who used her big serve to throw Swiatek off balance and made higher use of basic trades. “After all I get nervous each time I’m going out on the court, I feel like everyone else. But I’m calm, all the time. No less than I try not to show an excessive amount of emotion. My coach says sometimes I actually have to show up, so I’m learning too.
Świątek is a three-time champion, including titles on the French Open and US Open last season. She defeated Gauff, an 18-year-old American, within the Roland Garros final last June.
![Coco Gauff lost 7-5, 6-3 to Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth round of the Australian Open.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/Coco-Gauff-2-1.jpg?w=1024)
By Sunday, the 2 looked quite dominant on this tournament, winning every set they competed in, with Swiatek losing just 15 games combined and Gauff just 19 in three matches.
One key to Ostapenko vs. Gauff: Ostapenko went 3-for-3 using her break possibilities, and Gauff was only 1-for-8 in these situations.
![Rybakina and Świątek shake hands after Sunday's fourth round match at the Rod Laver Arena.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/GettyImages-1458358017.jpg?w=1024)
Rybakina’s rating of twenty fifth doesn’t adequately reflect her skill or performance as her All England Club championship in July yielded no rating points. The WTA and ATP tournaments took all of the points at Wimbledon in 2022 after the All England Club banned players from Russia and Belarus due to the invasion of Ukraine.
Rybakina hit six aces and built a 24-15 lead in victorious matches against the 21-year-old from Poland, who was a semi-finalist in Australia last 12 months. This followed Rybakina’s victory over 2022 runner-up Danielle Collins within the third round.