Alexandrova stuns Rybakina to reach Adelaide semis

ADELAIDE: Australian Open runner-up Elena Rybakina was handed a humbling defeat ahead of the year's first Grand Slam as the world number three was beaten 6-3 6-3 by the unseeded Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Adelaide International quarter-finals on Thursday (Jan 11).

Kazakh Rybakina laid down a marker by beating Melbourne Park champion Aryna Sabalenka in Sunday's Brisbane final but was well off the pace against world number 21 Alexandrova as she sought a second win in their fourth meeting.

The top seed found herself 4-0 down following an error-prone start before clawing her way back with some fierce ball-striking but the counter-punching Alexandrova held firm and broke again to clinch the opening set.

Rybakina, who meets Karolina Pliskova in her first clash at the Jan 14-28 Australian Open, fell behind even further in the next set and mounted another comeback before Alexandrova fought back from 0-40 down at 5-3 to clinch the win.

Up next for Alexandrova is former world number five Jelena Ostapenko, who continued to gain momentum for another tilt at a Grand Slam title with a 7-5 6-3 win over Marta Kostyuk.

The 12th-ranked Latvian, who made her major breakthrough by claiming the 2017 French Open title, is beginning to rediscover her best form having also made the Brisbane quarter-finals and came through a tight first set against her Ukrainian opponent.

She raised her level in the next after dropping serve and broke to go ahead 3-1 before breezing through.

"It was a tough match, but finally I won in two sets. I managed it," Ostapenko said.

"I feel I was striking the ball well. Even in the first set when it was 5-2 to 5-5, I still was playing my game and then at the end I found it. Just happy to be through."

Second seed Jessica Pegula