A scorching day transitioned into a stifling evening at the Australian Open, leading to Coco Gauff venting her frustration by smashing her racket following a one-sided defeat to Elina Svitolina, ending her chances of reaching the semifinals.
The tenth day of the tournament kicked off with Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed, dispatching 18-year-old Iva Jovic 6-3, 6-0 before the Extreme Heat Policy came into effect, prompting the closure of the roof over Rod Laver Arena.
Under the shelter of the closed roof, Svitolina, seeded 12th, delivered a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory over the third-seeded Gauff in just under an hour, securing her spot in the semifinals against Sabalenka.
The men’s quarterfinal matches were split between day and night sessions, with one contest taking place indoors and the other under the night sky.
Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz moved closer to a career Grand Slam with a comprehensive 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 triumph to conclude the day’s play. Alcaraz is set to face Alexander Zverev in his first Australian Open semifinal, with the latter defeating Learner Tien 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-6 (3) in an afternoon match under the roof. The two players are tied at 6-6 in their head-to-head matchups, with Zverev emerging victorious in their 2024 quarterfinal clash in Australia.
Svitolina, recently returning from a mental health break, extended her winning streak to 10 matches, starting from her title win in Auckland, New Zealand at the beginning of the season. This run is expected to propel her back into the Top 10 rankings next week.
Expressing her satisfaction with her performance, Svitolina, a 31-year-old Ukrainian, shared her joy at returning to the Top 10 after her maternity leave. Despite facing previous quarterfinal exits at the Australian Open, Svitolina dominated Gauff in their recent encounter, with the American struggling with her serve and showing visible frustration by smashing her racket after the match.
As the main stadium roof was retracted for the final match due to a decrease in temperature, Sabalenka, eyeing her third Australian Open title in four years, continued her strong form by defeating Jovic. Sabalenka praised Jovic’s performance, acknowledging the tough challenge posed by the young player.
The day’s play witnessed a mix of intense matches, with players showcasing their skills under varying conditions, setting the stage for exciting semifinal matchups at the Australian Open.