Melbourne: Fourth seed Jasmine Paolini slumped to a heart-breaking three-set defeat after falling to 28th seed Elina Svitolina in the third round on Saturday. Shortly after her husband Gael Monfils upset fourth seed Taylor Fritz, Svitolina overcame a slow start to take control and run away with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Svitolina expressed her motivation drawn from her husband's earlier win, stating, "I want to say I got inspired after my husband's win." Svitolina's victory marked the first time she defeated a top-five opponent since her triumph over Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon in 2023. Despite a challenging start, she expressed satisfaction with her comeback, saying, "I'm really happy with the way I came back into the match. Really happy with the performance in the end."

A former world No. 3, the 30-year-old Svitolina has been overtaken by younger players but demonstrated in Melbourne that she remains competitive against top-tier opponents. The Ukrainian showcased her defensive skills and will next face Veronika Kudermetova, who defeated 15th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in straight sets.

Paolini, who had a successful 2024 season with finals appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon, found herself in a strong position after securing the first set with five consecutive games. However, Svitolina shifted the momentum with an early break in the second set, using deep forehand shots to challenge Paolini's defense.

Svitolina's dominance persisted into the third set, completing a triumphant day for both herself and Monfils.