World No 1 Iga Swiatek was dumped out of the Australian Open by Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina at the last 16.
Coco Gauff also suffered defeat to a resurgent Jelena Ostapenko at the last 16.
Rybakina produced a big-stage performance on Rod Laver Arena, winning 6-4 6-4.
Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, powered her way to a 7-5 6-3 victory over seventh seed Coco Gauff.
Rybakina will play Ostapenko in the quarter-finals instead of the match-up between Swiatek and Gauff that many predicted.
“It was a really tough match,” Rybakina said afterward.
“I really respect Iga because of the streak she’s had and her Grand Slams. She is a young player and I think she plays really well.
“I saw she was struggling a bit on one side but in the important moments, I played really well so it made the difference.
“I am nervous every time I go on the court like everybody, but I’m calm always. At least I’m trying not to show so many emotions.
“My coach is saying that I actually need to show them sometimes. I’m also learning but for sure I’m nervous, but it’s a big win and I’m happy to get to another round.”
“For sure the past two weeks have been pretty hard for me,” said Swiatek.
“So, I felt today that I don’t have that much to take from myself to fight even more.
“I felt like I took a step back in terms of how I approach these tournaments, and I maybe wanted it a little bit too hard. So, I’m going to try to chill out a little bit more.
“I felt the pressure, and I felt that I don’t want to lose instead of I want to win. So that’s, I think, a base of what I should focus on in the next couple of weeks.”
Gauff was in tears after the defeat
Coco Gauff, shed tears of disappointment in her press conference after the defeat. It was her first defeat of the season.
“I think it’s because I worked really hard, and I felt really good coming into the tournament, and I still feel good,” she said.
“I feel like I’ve improved a lot. But, when you play a player like her and she plays really well, it’s like there’s nothing you can do.”
“She’s such a great player,” Ostapenko said of Gauff after the match.
“Super young and she’s playing really well and fighting until the very last point, but I really had nothing to lose.
“I just went there and tried to show my best and try to fight for every point and make it hard for her. I’m really happy with the win.
“I had to stay positive all the time and I knew I had to play aggressively to beat her. I was trying to step into the court.
“Even if I missed some balls I knew if I did everything right I would put some balls in the court. In the end, I kept her under so much pressure and it brought me a win.”
