Rybakina outclasses Swiatek to reach Australian Open semis

MELBOURNE: Elena Rybakina is rapidly emerging as the standout contender at the Australian Open.The 26-year-old Kazakh, seeded fifth, let her serve do the talking as she powered into her fourth Grand Slam semifinal, dismantling world No. 2 Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1. The lanky, Moscow-born star, whose fluid, effortless action is a study in efficiency, unleashed 11 aces on Wednesday, boosting her tournament-leading total to 35, which helped claim an imposing 89 percent of her service games.Rybakina, who made her breakthrough with her triumph at Wimbledon in 2022, will face American Jessica Pegula, the sixth seed, on Thursday. In the other semifinal, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is set to clash with world No. 12 Elina Svitolina, promising another high-stakes showdown at Melbourne Park.Rybakina appeared to struggle on court last year as her coaching setup was given a shake-up. In January 2025, her coach Stefano Vukov was provisionally suspended by the WTA over alleged code-of-conduct breaches, barring him from being accredited and coaching her at tournaments. Although the world No. 5, reportedly in a romantic relationship with Vukov, continued working with him privately, she relied on a second coach courtside. Following an appeal the WTA lifted the suspension later in 2025, allowing Vukov to return to official tour duties. Rybakina’s form surged soon after, culminating in a dominant performance at the WTA Finals last November, where she ripped through the field.“The last couple of tournaments I played last season I gained some confidence through the tough matches,” she said. “This is something I tried to carry to this year. Still, a lot of things to improve, to work on, but the most important thing is that I'm trying to stay aggressive whenever I get the chance to step in, maybe risk a little bit.” Vukov, who was at courtside, pushed his player, urging Rybakina to play closer to the lines against Swiatek, who was rushing when going for her shots.“For me it is better that the coaches are closer, because you can hear them better,” Rybakina said of the coaching pods at courtside. “It is nice to get advice, especially if something is not working for you. It was a good idea to move the coaches a little bit closer to the court.”Meanwhile, in the junior girls doubles draw, India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and Aussie Renee Alame went down to Alexandra Malova and Alisa Terentyeva 1-6, 7-5, 7-10 in the second round.