Australian Open Svitolina dismisses Andreeva and joins Gauff in quarters

(Melbourne) The Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (12^e world) beat on Sunday the Russian Mirra Andreeva (7^e) to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, where she will challenge world No.3 Coco Gauff on Tuesday.

Beaten in two sets by Andreeva during their only previous confrontation, at Indian Wells in 2025, Svitolina this time won 6-2, 6-4 against the semi-finalist of the 2024 edition of Roland-Garros.

Still undefeated in 2026, the Ukrainian scored her ninth victory in a row on Sunday and continues the momentum of her title at the WTA 250 in Auckland in early January.

Qualified for her fourth quarter-final in Melbourne after those of 2018, 2019 and 2025, she will try on Tuesday to invite herself for the first time into the last four of the Australian Open.

Ex-world No.3, Svitolina is trailing 2-1 in her duels with Gauff. She won her only victory against the American in Melbourne, in the second round of the 2021 edition of the Australian Open.

Sunday against Andreeva, the Ukrainian had to fend off three break points in the first game of the match. After clearing the danger, Svitolina took a decisive advantage in the sixth game, when she broke to lead 4-2 before concluding the first set by again stealing the 18-year-old Russian’s serve.

Andreeva then won the first ten points of the second set to lead 2-0, 0-30 then 15-40 on Svitolina’s serve. But the native of Odessa got out of this perilous situation and even recovered in two games everywhere.

The last match of the day ended after 1:23, with a forehand winner from Svitolina which allowed her to take Andreeva’s serve at 5-4 and thus seal her qualification.

Gauff in three rounds

The American Coco Gauff, 3^e world, lost another set on Sunday, but she qualified for the quarters by beating the Czech Karolina Muchova (19) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

“She raised her level of play from the second set onwards,” noted Gauff. It varies a lot and you never know what it’s going to do so I’m happy to have passed,” commented Gauff.

On the other hand, for her second match in three sets in a row and in two days, she did not seem physically affected.

“I don’t get tired, maybe it’s because I’m 21,” said the double Grand Slam winner (US Open 2023 and Roland-Garros 2025).