On Tuesday, 2023 Australian Open finalist Elena Rybakina blasted past 16-year-old wild card Emerson Jones at Melbourne Park to win her first Grand Slam match with coach Goran Ivanisevic in her corner.
Come Thursday, the No. 6 seed will meet another teen talent in 17-year-old wild card Iva Jovic of Torrance, Calif.
Rybakina needed just 53 minutes on the court, as her serve and sheer power overwhelmed the Gold Coast native. The 2022 Wimbledon champion fired 11 aces and 0 double faults, while saving all three break points she faced in cruising to a 6-1, 6-1 victory against Jones.
“Of course, I knew that people want to support (an) Australian. She’s very young,” Rybakina told press. “I knew that I’m going to have a lot of opportunities. So I was kind of prepared for anything.”
