Aryna Sabalenka becomes highest seed to fall at Australian Open, beaten by Kaia Kanepi in fourth round
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Updated 24/01/2022 at 15:41 GMT
The second seed won the first set 7-5 against the Estonian but her serve fell apart after that, losing the next two sets 6-2, 7-6 to crash out in the fourth round. Kanepi's reward is a quarter-final with Iga Swiatek, who needed three sets to beat Sorana Cirstea. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+.
‘Oh no!’ – The awkward moment Kanepi thought she had knocked out Sabalenka but hadn’t
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka became the highest ranked player to fall at the Australian Open after losing in three sets to Estonian veteran Kaia Kanepi in the fourth round.
The Belarusian was beaten 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (10-7) by the 36-year-old after her serve fell apart having taken control of the match in the first set.
It is the first time that Kanepi, who has struggled with long-term injury for much of her career, has ever reached the last eight in Melbourne - and her first Grand Slam quarter-final since the US Open in 2017.
Sabalenka had never reached the quarter-finals but she started the last-16 tie well, breaking late in the first set to take it 7-5 after both players begun solidly. But after that, she started to struggle on her serve.
The world number 115 recovered quickly by breaking to 30 in the opening game of the second set and did so again in the third game, taking her fourth break point before she raced out into a 4-0 lead. There was no way back for Sabalenka, who squandered the second set 6-2.
The match favourite had to start the decider strong but it was Kanepi again who went out in front, as Sabalenka was again poor on serve as she dropped it to 15. Kanepi held on to her lead until the eighth game, when everything became more frenetic.
Sabanleka broke back for 4-4, but immediately dropped serve again, giving Kanepi a chance to serve for the match. It looked like she would see it out easily, racing to a 40-0 lead to bring up three match points - but back came Sabalenka again to level at 5-5.
The match was to be settled on a super tie-break and Kanepi again went ahead to 5-2, before Sabalenka fought back to take a 6-5 lead. From there, though, the Estonian dropped just one point as she took a memorable victory to set up a match with Iga Swiatek.
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