Rybakina survives injury scare to reach Australian Open round of 16

On By Littum

Kazakh Elena Rybakina, no. 6 seed, advanced to the round of 16 of the Australian Open by winning over Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, no. 32, 6-3, 6-4 at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

Rybakina struggled with her back during the match but needed an hour and 24 minutes on Yastremska. She hit 15 winners and converted three break points to complete the victory.

“Honestly, I didn’t know how it was going to go because it came suddenly,” Rybakina said after the win. “I didn’t expect it and of course it wasn’t easy, I knew it would be very difficult for me to stay long in the events, I tried to play aggressively and sometimes risk a bit more – really happy that it went my way to the end.”

Rybakina, who is ranked no. 7, will face the winner of the match between Madison Keys no. 19 and Danielle Collins no. 10.

The Kazakh beat Australian wildcard Emerson Jones (6-1, 6-1) and American wildcard Iva Jovic (6-0, 6-3) earlier in the tournament.

In the previous rounds of the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 season, Yastremska, ranked No. 33, over Egyptian Mayar Sherif (6-1, 6-4) and Montenegrin Danka Kovinic (6-0, 6-1).

Melbourne (Grand Slam), other third round results (Melbourne Park, hard, $60,627,573, latest results first):

  • Madison Keys vs. Danielle Collins
  • Elina Svitolina vs. Jasmine Paolini
  • Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Veronika Kudermetova
  • Daria Kasatkina (9) beat Yulia Putintseva (24): 7-5, 6-1
  • Eva Lys (LL) beat Jaqueline Cristian: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
  • Iga Swiatek (2) beat Emma Raducanu: 6-1, 6-0
  • Emma Navarro (8) beat Ons Jabeur: 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
  • Olga Danilovic beat Jessica Pegula (7): 7-6 (3), 6-1
  • Coco Gauff (3) beat Leylah Fernandez (30): 6-4, 6-2
  • Belinda Bencic beat Naomi Osaka: 7-6 (3) straight.
  • Mirra Andreeva (14) beat Magdalena Frech (23): 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
  • Paula Badosa (11) beat Marta Kostyuk (17): 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
  • Aryna Sabalenka (1) beat Clara Tauson: 7-6 (5), 6-4
  • Donna Vekic (18) beat Diana Shnaider (12): 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-5
  • Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (27) beat Laura Siegemund: 6-1, 6-2