Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk has risen to the occasion in her maiden Pat Rafter Arena outing to oust second seed Amanda Anisimova for a Brisbane International quarterfinal berth on Thursday night.
In her fourth appearance at the season-opening WTA 500 event, the world No.26 ambushed the big-hitting American, having drawn from a recent practice session with the world No.3, as she wrapped up a 6-4 6-3 victory in 91 minutes.
She next meets sixth seed Mirra Andreeva for the chance to play either fourth seed Jessica Pegula or 10th seed Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinals.
“It’s unbelievable. I practised with Amanda like a week ago and she absolutely destroyed me in practice, so I was coming into this match super ready,” Kostyuk said. “Obviously now she’s an unbelievable player and she had an amazing season last year. I didn’t have the best season last year so I’m very happy to start like this.
“I was so happy because it’s my first time playing on centre court here. I’ve played here many years but never had the chance to play on here, so I was incredibly happy to come out on court and see a full stadium. It’s an incredible feeling always as a tennis player because this is what we’re playing for.”
It was sustained yet measured aggression throughout, which delivered 17 winners to her opponent’s 19 but just 16 unforced errors to Anisimova’s 30. It marked her third win in four meetings between the pair.
An Australian Open junior champion at age 15 nine years ago, Kostyuk reached her sole Grand Slam quarterfinal to date at Melbourne Park in 2024.
Through to her second Brisbane quarterfinal, she had again found her groove on Australian soil.
Won AO juniors at 15, reached 3R and reached first GS QF in 2024.
“I think for sure it’s the people here,” she said. “It’s amazing people and always happy to be back here. I have a lot of Ukrainian supporters here. I see a lot of Ukrainian flags tonight and I have my big Australian-Ukrainian family in Melbourne so I’m always very, very excited and emotional to come back.
“When I played as a junior back nine years ago, was my first GranD Slam as a junior that I played and I won it and I did it with them by my side so it’s always like a happy place to come back to so for sure it’s the people.”
Sabalenka to meet Keys in AO 2025 final rematch
Reigning women’s singles champion Aryna Sabalenka and 2024 winner Elena Rybakina have kept their respective hopes alive of a second Brisbane International title after emphatic victories at Pat Rafter Arena, while Belgian Raphael Collignon knocked out two-time former champion Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday.
World No.1 Sabalenka fired 31 winners to 11 to breeze past Romanian Sorana Cirstea in 78 minutes for her 13th straight WTA quarterfinal berth. Third seed Rybakina quickly followed her into the last eight after quashing the threat of former world No.2 Paula Badosa 6-3 6-2 in 85 minutes.
The last tournament that Sabalenka did not reach the quarterfinals was in Dubai in February 2025.
“She’s [Cirstea] an incredible player, always pushed me really hard. Especially in the second set, it was a really great level from her,” Sabalenka said of the 6-3 6-3 win. “I’m super happy that I was able to close this match in straight sets.
“I was just trying to focus on my game, going into this match, on the things that I have to do to get the win.”
It took almost three hours, but Madison Keys later set an Australian Open 2025 women’s singles final rematch against the world No.1, following a 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 7-6(4) win over 12th seed Diana Shnaider.
Keys denied Sabalenka the opportunity to become the first player since Martina Hingis between 1997 and 1999 of winning three-consecutive Australian Open women’s singles titles, with the American winning her first-career Grand Slam crown.
MORE: Rybakina, Sabalenka, and Dimitrov headline Day 5 action
However, Sabalenka believes she is a better player for that shortcoming. Having since won 30 of her 36 hardcourt matches, including the US Open 2025 title, Sabalenka is ready to challenge Keys on Australian soil once again.
“Twelve months ago, I wasn’t really clear in my head after that loss, but honestly, she just overhit me, overplayed,” Sabalenka reflected on her AO 2025 defeat. “She played incredible tennis, and I have to say that loss really pushed me so hard to keep working, make sure it’s not going to happen again.
“If it’s going to be her [that I’m facing], I’m so excited to face her again in Australia.”
Rybakina breaks head-to-head deadlock against Badosa
Like Sabalenka, third seed Rybakina was also tested more than the scoreline indicated in her third-round contest against Badosa.
The Kazakhstani won an impressive 81 per cent of first-serve points and finished with 24 winners to her opponent’s 19 for her fifth victory in nine meetings between the pair.
Badosa’s 29 unforced errors, including nine doubles faults, proved telling against Rybakina’s 19.
“It’s always tough battles against Paula. She has great shots, she plays really fast and has a very good serve, so it was not easy,” Rybakina said. “I started a little bit slow and after I was struggling on my serve too but I’m happy that I managed to win.”
Barring a walkover to Linda Noskova in Tokyo, the 26-year-old has won her past 13 matches and will next meet 11th seed Karolina Muchova, a 6-4 7-5 winner over seventh seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
“Well about last season, I don’t think [about it] anymore,” Rybakina said. “It’s good to know these stats, but honestly … most important is to focus on here and how you feel, and improve each match. That’s what I’m trying to do so we’ll see how this tournament goes.”
Collignon fells two-time former champion
Not for the first time, Belgian Raphael Collignon is proving his worth on Australia’s blue hard courts – this time knocking out former world No.3 Grigor Dimitrov to reach the Brisbane International quarterfinals on Thursday night.
If Brisbane crowds needed any reminder who the 84th-ranked qualifier was, they needed only cast their minds back less than four months to Sydney.
There the unheralded Belgian spearheaded his nation’s upset of Australia in a Davis Cup second-round qualifying tie, including wins in both singles rubbers against Alex de Minaur and Aleksandar Vukic.
In a first meeting against the two-time former Brisbane champion, Collignon completed a 7-6(1) 6-3 victory in an hour and 47 minutes on the back of 82 per cent of first-serve points won, including nine aces.
It set a last-eight showdown against unseeded American Brandon Nakashima.
“I played unbelievable. It was an honour for me to play against Grigor. I was watching him when I was a kid at home and now, I’m playing against him so it’s a great pleasure for me to be here,” Collignon said. “I’m very happy the way I played.”
Collignon had sounded a warning before he turned heads in the Harbour City when he upset 12th seed Casper Ruud in five sets in the second round at last year’s US Open.
Right at home on hard courts, his progress in the past 12 months was marked.
“I played very well the end of 2025. I know we are working very well with my team, with my physical trainer and Steve [Darcis] also, who was an unbelievable player,” he said. “I know what I have to improve. I think we are moving in the right direction.”
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