The top favorite is out: Iga Swiatek surprisingly failed in the round of 16 of the Australian Open.

The number one in the world lost to Wimbledon winner Jelina Rybakina from Kazakhstan 4: 6, 4: 6 in Melbourne on Sunday (local time) and had to give up hope of her fourth Grand Slam triumph.

"I definitely have to work on my mindset," said Swiatek after the disappointing defeat: "I felt the pressure and didn't want to lose instead of wanting to win."

Praise from opponent Rybakina

“I have a lot of respect for Iga.

Today I served very well and played very well in the important moments," said Rybakina.

She now meets Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, Paris winner of 2017, who defeated US player Coco Gauff 7: 5, 6: 3.

Swiatek won the French Open for the second time last year and then also triumphed in New York.

For Rybakina, reaching the quarter-finals is already the best result of her career in Australia.

Born in Russia, she defeated Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the final at Wimbledon, winning the first Grand Slam title for the nation she has been serving for since 2018.

The American tennis player Sebastian Korda achieved the greatest Grand Slam tournament success of his career at the Australian Open.

The 22-year-old made it through to the quarter-finals with a hard-fought 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) win over Hubert Hurkacz from Poland.

"I'm happy with how I fought my way through," said the world number 31, who had shone even more in the previous round in the three-set win against Russian Daniil Medvedev.

His father Petr Korda won the Australian Open in 1998 for the Czech Republic.

Sebastian Korda won the junior title five years ago.

Korda, seeded at number 29, meets the Russian Karen Khachanov in the round of the top eight players, who previously had significantly less trouble in the 6-0, 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) win against the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka .

Petkovic believes in Zverev

The retired tennis player Andrea Petkovic meanwhile expects the successful return of tennis Olympic champion Alexander Zverev.

"I think he'll be really fit again at the French Open," said Petkovic on Saturday at the "Ball des Sports" in Frankfurt.

"Alexander Zverev just needs a little more.

He had been badly injured for a long time now.

That would have been a bit early if things were going so well there," said the 35-year-old about the 25-year-old's second round at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

The seven-time WTA tournament winner also gives hope in German tennis to the performance of another former teammate.

"I was really happy that Laura Siegemund had such a good run.

She played really well even after her severe knee surgery.

That was a great success,” said Petkovic.

Siegemund had missed her first round of 16 entry at the Australian Open after her defeat in the third round duel against Caroline Garcia from France, despite a good performance.