Written by Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Photo credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty
Looking ahead helped Elena Rybakina reach a historic moment in Melbourne today.
Rybakina cruised through the first seven games leading to a 6-0, 6-3 ouster of the 17-year-old American. Iva Jovic to enter the third round of the Australian Open.
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It is Rybakina’s 50th Grand Slam main-draw match win and it took her only 80 minutes to get to the finish line against the youngest woman in the singles field.
“I started very well and I think that for him he needs more time to get used to the speed,” said Rybakina afterwards. “I started well and struggled in the second stage.
“But I’m more than happy.”
Sixth-seeded Rybakina joined the comatriot Yulia Putintseva as the second woman from Kazakhstan to reach the third round of the AO. 24th seed Putintseva defeated Shuai Zhang 6-2, 6-1 in today’s second round.
There was a dark cloud over Rybakina’s training status when she arrived in Melbourne last week. Rybakina started working with the former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic at the beginning of the season, but announced his plan to meet with the former coach Stefano Vukov earlier this month.
However, Vukov is currently serving a WTA suspension and was not granted an AO certificate.
Rybakina put her power game above the training controversy with a powerful performance. Through two rounds, Rybakina dropped only five games.
Coach Goran has been working on Rybakina’s transition game and it showed today: She won 12 of 15 trips to the net and tripled Jovic’s number of wins (29 to 10).
“He is a happy person and of course we didn’t know each other well so we need time to get used to it. [to each other],” Rybakina said of Ivanisevic. “But he’s great—he’s looking forward to winning titles with him.
“If I can serve better, the better. All the time, I need to work on my job. I think it is still possible to make some improvements. Today I think my performance was not good so I hope I can improve it in the next game.”
Today, the 2022 Wimbledon winner played a flawless first set that rattled 18 winners—more than 15 of the AO debutants.
The shots flowed like all the right answers to the test as Rybakina roared to seven straight matches.
Tell the talented Jovic about getting back into the game. Jovic fought off four break points in the punishing second game of the second set to finally get on the board.
That hard grip helped the world No. 191 loosen his arm and get cracks on his drives. Jovic quickly broke before extending his lead to 3-1.
When she’s on her game, Rybakina is an imperfect striker. Rybakina is more comfortable hitting her forecourt, but she can blast her two-handed serve from anywhere and tie a few hands down the line to snap a five-game losing streak.
A second wild card error gave Rybakina a break point in the eighth game. Jovic hit a shallow second and Rybakina fired a backhand winner down the floor to break the set at one, leading 5-3.
Rybakina threw in a heavy toss to convert her second match point and book a return to the third round against Diana Yastremska.
2024 AO semifinalist Yastremska won 11 of 14 second-set points in a 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Danka Kovinic that lasted just 51 minutes.
Yastremska has lost only six games in two rounds and will face Rybakina for the first time
