Svitolina’s Poise Overpowers Andreeva’s Fire
In the humid glow of Rod Laver Arena, Elina Svitolina turned Mirra Andreeva’s aggressive surges into her own opportunities, securing a straight-sets win that propels her into another Australian Open quarterfinal against Coco Gauff.
Elina Svitolina’s Australian Open journey has long balanced raw talent with hard-earned wisdom, a pursuit that sharpens with each Melbourne draw. On Sunday night at Rod Laver Arena, she faced Mirra Andreeva, the No. 8 seed buoyed by her Adelaide title, in a matchup that tested youth against experience. Svitolina prevailed 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour and 23 minutes, claiming her 14th Grand Slam quarterfinal since her 2012 debut—fourth here—and trailing only Serena Williams (21), Simona Halep (16), and Aryna Sabalenka (15) in that elite tally. Her record against Top 10 opponents at majors now stands at 7-14 overall, 2-3 at this event, setting up a quarterfinal with World No. 3 Coco Gauff, where she trails 1-2 head-to-head but holds a win from five years ago on these courts.
The Ukrainian’s game plan centered on disrupting Andreeva’s rhythm, using heavy topspin forehands to stretch the 18-year-old baseline and force errors in extended exchanges. Footwork became her edge, allowing her to redirect pace on the hard courts while probing for inconsistencies in the teenager’s aggressive returns. For the tournament’s latest developments, follow the Scores, Draws, and Order of play.
“It’s unbelievable,” Svitolina said in her on-court interview. “I’m very, very pleased with the performance tonight, and I had to really put up a fight and fight until the very last point. It was an extremely nerve-wracking match, and I was very happy the way I held myself.”
Opening hold resets the tone
Andreeva seized the initiative early, taking the ball on the rise off Svitolina’s first serve and whipping a down-the-line forehand winner to reach 0-40 in the opening game. At 31, the Ukrainian stared down triple break point, the arena’s murmurs amplifying the stakes of an early deficit. She countered with a forehand winner to erase the first, then reeled off five straight points, holding for 1-0 and establishing a pattern of resilience that echoed through the night.
This save previewed the match’s streaky flow, Svitolina’s movement forcing Andreeva into uncomfortable positions on the baseline. The first set built from there, with the veteran breaking at love in the fourth game via an inside-in forehand after drawing a short ball. She closed it by taking the final three games, her topspin pulling the teenager wide and exploiting the surface’s bounce to rack up seven unforced errors.
Second-set save halts the surge
Momentum swung sharply in the second, Svitolina’s double fault yielding a love break to open the frame, Andreeva claiming 11 of the first 12 points and capping it with a slice drop shot for double break point at 2-0. The crowd leaned in, sensing a shift that could widen the gap. Svitolina steadied with an ace to save one, then won four straight points to hold for 2-1, averting a double-break that might have tilted the contest decisively.
That hold sparked an immediate break back, her crosscourt backhand piercing Andreeva’s defense after a grinding rally. Four holds followed, Svitolina edging to 5-4 by varying underspin slices with heavy topspin to disrupt the 1–2 pattern on returns. The teenager’s frustration surfaced in mounting errors, her flat shots occasionally sailing long under the pressure of prolonged points.
Svitolina post-win interviews often leave us going awww and we aren’t complaining. We are chill about it 😋 pic.twitter.com/n1VAkdyqPC
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2026
Defining rally delivers the edge
At 5-4, a 22-shot rally captured the match’s intensity, Svitolina scrambling side to side while absorbing Andreeva’s drives, finally lobbing a ball that the net cord favored just enough. The slice return dipped out, leaving the Ukrainian two points from victory amid the arena’s rising hum. Andreeva saved one match point after her own double fault, but one of her 33 unforced errors handed another chance, which Svitolina converted with a buried forehand winner crosscourt.
“I was expecting a tough battle and lots of long rallies,” Svitolina said. “I was trying to just move my feet extremely well today, be really focused and find the small holes in her game and try to use them.”
Now shifting focus to recovery, she eyes Gauff in a clash where tactical angles could stretch the American’s athleticism. “I don’t want to think too much about it,” the Ukrainian noted. “it’s, like, another opportunity for me to go far in the tournament. I want to focus on my recovery. I want to focus on my game plan that I have to execute well. I think right now this is the priorities for me.” Her poise under pressure positions her to extend this run, blending veteran savvy with the hard courts’ demands.
