The Australian Open
Australian Open 2025 Women’s Day 9
Five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek broke through her fourth-round barrier at the Australian Open, reaching the quarter-finals for only the second time as she crushed qualifying lucky loser Eva Lys on Monday.
Second seed Swiatek dominated the 23-year-old ranked 128th who will reach the top 20 in the upcoming WTA rankings.
The Polish seed showed no mercy in a rout as she blew into the last eight at Melbourne Park.
Swiatek swept the opening set and allowed Lys one game in the second to wrap up things in 59 minutes.
“This is my first night session and I really enjoyed it,” Swiatek said, adding that there remains room in her game to lift even higher.
“There’s a lot to improve, I’m not at my peaks yet. Matches like this give me confidence.
“I’ve never really felt comfortable with my game at the Australian Open but it’s better this year.”
The second seed will bid for her second semi-final here when she plays eighth seed Emma Navarro, who converted only nine of 25 break points before finally prevailing over Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.
Adelaide tournament winner Madison Keys shocked sixth seed Elena Rybakina, sending the 2023 Melbourne finalist out in the fourth round 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
The American 14th seed spent just under two hours in staging the upset of the sixth seed with 27 winners and 31 unforced errors.
Keys won her ninth consecutive match this season, finishing with a cross-court winner.
“It was a pretty good first set, and I think I finished the third set really well,” keys said.
“There are some things that I can take and learn from the middle of the match. But overall, I’m really happy with how I was able to close out that match.”
Crowd favourite Elina Svitolina returned the the last eight here for the third time in her career and first since 2019 as the Ukrainian wife of gael Monfils dispatched Veronika Kudermetova, 6-3, 6-1.
The 30-year-old winner is competing for the 12th time in Melbourne in her 44th Grand Slam appearance.
Svitolina recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the opening set against her 75th-ranked opponent and was unstoppable from that point on, earning her ninth win from as many matches against Russians since the February, 2022, invasion of Ukraine.
“I was fighting, it was the only thing you can do when things are not going your way,” the winner said of her turnaround.
“You have to put your head down and go back to work. I’m happy I could come back and win in straight sets.
Since her Melbourne quarter-final six years ago, much has changed for the 30-year-old.
Svitolina got married to her fellow player, had surgery and took time away to have the couple’s child Skye.
“Mentality played a big part,” said the 27th-ranked former world No. 2. “Starting from zero is not easy,
“It’s an amazing feeling to go deep at a Grand Slam, I owe thanks to my team.”
The Australian Open
Fashion-forward Osaka will tone it down at RG
Tennis style icon Naomi Osaka has no plans to try for one-upmanship in the informal fashion stakes at Roland Garros.
The former world No. 1 from Japan has sometimes made more news with her style choices than her racquet, especially after taking time off several seasons ago to have a child.
But Osaka has run against the traditional tennis grain with some of her outfits, which included an exo-skeleton ensemble at January’s Australian Open, where she walked onto court for her opening match wearing a large hat, veil, and carrying a parasol combination and wearing a pair of pleated pants..
The clothing was discarded before the start revealing a tennis dress, with the quirky player explaining the get-up was inspired by “the jellyfish, then butterflies, which ties back to the butterfly moment I had here a long time ago, in 2021,”
The world No. 16 also put on a fashion show at the spring Met Gala in New York, sporting a wedding dress-style garment combined with another huge hat..
For Osaka, it’s just another day in the office, but she said nothing special is planned when Roland Garros kicks of on Sunday in Paris.
“I don’t talk a lot, so that way I can talk through my clothes,” she said on Saturday prior to the start of the year’s second major.
“That means I can be as loud with colors or patterns or
fabric as I want.
“I think that’s the fun part.. I feel we lost that a little in tennis. I grew up with, you know, Serena’s and Venus’s (Williams) grand reveals (included beaded hair and catsuits on court).
“I know there are some kids or some people who are similar to me that hopefully feel that same way about my outfits.
“But, yeah, I am a little dramatic when it comes to my fashion sense.”
ATP
Kyrgios due to resurface on German grass
Nick Kyrgios is being touted for a return to tennis after playing just one singles match all season, with the controversial Australian due in the lineups for Stuttgart and Halle in June.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist who turns 31 in a week, has been added to the entry lists for the pair of run-up events prior to the grass-court major which starts on June 29.
Kyrgios, who has missed months on end due to injury and motivational worries, has played just one Grand Slam match since 2022, losing in the Australian Open first round in 2025.
His lone outing this season was an ATP defeat in Brisbane on January 6.
Nevertheless, the acquired taste is feted as a crowd-puller and will have German organisers on alert as to his eventual availability.
“Nick Kyrgios has been one of the most dazzling personalities in world tennis for years,” Halle tournament organisers said in a statement.
“The Australian is known for his exceptional playing style, characterised by one of the best serves on the tour, spectacular winners, and great creativity.
“At the same time, his emotional personality and charisma attract considerable attention far beyond the sport.”
Stuttgart start the day after the Roland Garros final while Halle follows a week later in northern Germany from June 13-21.
ATP
Djoko dropping hints that career has short shelf life
Novak Djokovic has been making it plain that the end of his career is approaching, with the 38-year-old dropping his strongest hint ever about his future on court.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion who has been keeping his ATP scheduling options open and has competed this season only at the Australian Open (finals loss to Carlos Alcaraz) and winning two rounds last month at Indian Wells.
“Tennis is still very important to me, but it’s no longer everything,” the Serb told Esquire Australia, adding that family matters and two children are starting to take precedence in his life.
“It’s one of the biggest challenges – finding the right balance between tennis and family life, especially as my children are growing and have school commitments, so they can’t travel with me as much as before.
“When I’m on the court, I’m motivated not just to win, but to set an example – to show them values like dedication, resilience, and love for what you do. That motivation is very powerful and very personal.”
Main photo:- Novak Djokovic was runner up to Carlos Alcaraz in AO26 – by ISF Ltd
-
Madrid Masters4 weeks agoSabalenka all in on possible RG player boycott
-
ATP4 weeks agoSinner the winner to push on with Rome entry
-
ATP4 weeks agoSinner all-in as Grand Slam boycott pressure grows
-
ATP3 weeks agoDarderi earns Italian upset with defeat of Zverev
-
Brisbane3 weeks agoSabalenka sensation as top seed toppled
-
ATP3 weeks agoAnother Italian victim for Sinner
-
Indian wells3 weeks agoSinner coasts to opening Rome win
-
ATP3 weeks agoSinner storms ahead as skies clear in Rome
