Kontaveit ousted by Tauson, Swiatek advances to Australian Open third round

It was a tale of contrasting fates for two of the top seeds at The Australian Open on Thursday, as Anett Kontaveit was eliminated from the tournament while Iga Swiatek kept her foot on the gas with a convincing win.

Kontaveit faced Denmark's Clara Tauson, who thoroughly outplayed her sixth-seeded opponent to secure a 6-2 6-4 victory. After securing an early break, the World No.39 never looked back, only allowing her opponent two games before she raced through the opening set.

Kontaveit attempted a comeback in the second, breaking Tauson to establish a 3-1 lead. However, both ladies would then go on to trade breaks before parity was restored at 4-4. With more errors creeping into her game, it was Kontaveit who surrendered the final break, allowing her Danish opponent to serve out the match after just 79 minutes.

Seventh seed Iga Swiatek had a different experience on John Cain Arena, as the 2020 Roland Garros champion swept past Sweden's Rebecca Peterson in a convincing 6-2 6-2 victory.

Swiatek has been in incredible form, dropping just seven games in her first two matches at Melbourne Park. The World No.9 dictated play from the baseline, overpowering her opponent with 19 winners while winning a high percentage of points on her serve. She faces the winner between Daria Kasatkina and Magda Linette for a spot in the fourth round.