The Japan Times - Rybakina surges into Melbourne semis as Djokovic takes centre stage

Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, stunned the second seed 7-5, 6-1 and faces either Jessica Pegula or fellow American Amanda Anisimova for a place in Saturday's final.

Rybakina has made the Melbourne final once before, in 2023 when she lost in three tough sets to Aryna Sabalenka.

Rybakina and Swiatek had met 11 times before, including five last season, with the Pole holding a narrow 6-5 edge.

"Really pleased with the win," said the 26-year-old fifth seed. "We know each other pretty well and I was just trying to stay aggressive.

"I feel like in the first set for both of us, the first serve was not really working, so just trying to step in on the second serve, put pressure on each other.

"I think in the second set I just started to play more freely and served better."

Defeat denied Swiatek a career Grand Slam of all four majors.

She has won four French Opens, the US Open and Wimbledon, but a title at Melbourne Park remains elusive.

- Djokovic, Sinner in action -

Also on day 11 at Melbourne Park, where temperatures were far more comfortable than the 43C on Tuesday, Djokovic faces Lorenzo Musetti of Italy.

The winner will meet two-time reigning champion Jannik Sinner or all-action Ben Shelton of the United States in the last four.

Djokovic has won a record-equalling 24 Grand Slam titles -- 10 of them in Melbourne.

But a 25th has remained agonisingly out of reach since triumphing at the US Open in 2023.

Djokovic got a free ride into the Musetti showdown when rising Czech star Jakub Mensik pulled out injured, giving the 38-year-old Serb an extra day's rest.

"Pretty sure he won't be tired," said the fifth-seeded Italian Musetti.

"But hopefully the rhythm that I have right now... will bring me luck for the next one. I feel ready to try to push him to his maximum."

The odds are stacked against Musetti, who is into the last eight at Melbourne for the first time, with clay and grass his usual forte.

He has played Djokovic 10 times before -- and only beaten him once, back in 2023.

Sinner is bidding to win the Melbourne crown for a third time in a row, something only Djokovic has done in the Open era (since 1968).

He has a tough opponent in Shelton, who reached the semi-finals last year, where he lost in straight sets to Sinner.

The pair have met nine times, with the world number two winning eight of them.

But Shelton is a fan favourite and is hoping to harness the energy of a "rowdy" crowd to pull off a shock.

"I'm definitely a competitor, I'm rowdy on court, I look forward to rowdy crowds," he said.

T.Kobayashi--JT