MELBOURNE, Australia — While much of the focus was on Iga Świątek’s struggle to balance patience and aggression under pressure, her elimination from the Australian Open boiled down to a simpler issue: her serve.
Facing off against one of the best servers, the 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, Świątek’s inability to gain points during crucial moments led to a 7-5, 6-1 defeat in the quarterfinals. Rybakina, seeded No. 5 and a finalist three years ago, dominated the match with a powerful serving performance.
Świątek faced an uphill battle as she had to work much harder to secure her serves, often needing to play through a complete game without much support. In contrast, Rybakina’s serve alleviated pressure each time she faced it.
Rybakina won 93% of her first-serve points in the first set despite only landing 41% of her first serves. This allowed her to maintain control during her service games, even while hitting more second serves. When she found herself in a tight spot at 0-40, Rybakina rallied with a powerful serve, including one of her 11 aces. While Świątek faced 0-15 five times, she was only able to hold serve once, compared to Rybakina’s success.
In stark contrast to Rybakina’s serving prowess, Świątek secured only 64% of her first-serve points in the opening set at a rate of 54%. The pressure mounted as the set reached its climax; serving at 6-5, Świątek shifted from 30-0 to 30-30, ultimately yielding a set point that Rybakina converted following a game in which Świątek had to serve six second serves.
Building on her initial win, Rybakina showcased further serving excellence in the second set. At 2-0, she responded to a 15-30 deficit with an ace and consecutive winners. After going down 0-30 in her next service game, Rybakina delivered four aces, showing dominance and eventually closing the match with an ace.
Rybakina mentioned post-match that her indoor practice due to heat might have disrupted her serving rhythm earlier, prompting adjustments in the second set. For Świątek, the match was reminiscent of her previous loss to Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open, contrasting sharply with her serving performance during her Wimbledon victory.
