MELBOURNE, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Fourth seed Jasmine Paolini slumped to a heart-breaking three-set defeat after falling to 28th seed Elina Svitolina in the third round on Saturday.
Shortly after her husband Gael Monfils upset fourth seed Taylor Fritz, Svitolina overcame a slow start to take control and run away with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory.
"I want to say I got inspired after my husband's win," said Svitolina, who beat a top five opponent for the first time since knocking out Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon in 2023. "I played so bad the first set. I'm not sure, [maybe] I was inspired.
"I'm really happy with the way I came back into the match. Really happy with the performance in the end."
A former world No. 3, the 30-year-old Svitolina has been overtaken by younger players but she has proven in Melbourne that she can still mix it with the best in the business.
The Ukrainian showcased her trademark defensive mastery and she will now face Veronika Kudermetova, who beat 15th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in straight sets.
It was a disappointment for Paolini, who rose up the rankings in 2024 after reaching the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Paolini appeared in control after rattling off five straight games to take the first set.
But Svitolina turned the match on its head with an early break in the second set as she pounded her forehands deep in the corners to run Paolini ragged.
Her momentum continued as she dominated the third set to complete a memorable day for Svitolina and Monfils. ■
