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Elina Svitolina shocks Coco Gauff in Melbourne to seal first Australian Open semifinal berth
Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-2 in under an hour to set up a clash with two-time champion in Melbourne, Aryna Sabalenka.
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina delivered one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 Australian Open, producing a fearless display to knock out world No. 3 Coco Gauff and storm into her maiden semifinal in Melbourne. The Ukrainian 12th seed needed just 59 minutes to outmanoeuvre the American 6-1, 6-2 under the closed roof at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.
After ending her 2025 season early, Svitolina has raced out of the blocks in the new calendar year, lifting her 19th career title in Auckland. With her run to the semifinals in Melbourne, she is now on the third-longest tour-level winning streak of her career.
The win over Gauff was Svitolina’s second straight victory against a top-10 opponent in the space of 48 hours, following her straight-sets defeat of eighth seed Mirra Andreeva in the fourth round on Sunday. It was also her 24th career top-five win, four of them at Grand Slams, all achieved since her return from maternity leave. Incidentally, it was her first victory over Gauff in five years, and once again under a closed roof.
Gauff’s service woes surfaced early as she committed five double faults and was broken four times, allowing the aggressive Svitolina to race through the opening set.
Looking to arrest the slide, the American sent several rackets to be re-strung after organisers invoked the extreme heat policy on a scorching afternoon, forcing the roof to be closed.
Svitolina surged to a 3-0 lead in the second set before Gauff briefly steadied with a couple of holds, but there was no stopping the Ukrainian, who eased to a commanding victory.
Now back inside the top 10, Svitolina will face world No. 1 and two-time Melbourne champion Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.
"Not bad, not bad at all," Svitolina said in her on-court inyterview. “Always been my dream to come back in Top 10 after maternity leave, that's always been my goal.”
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