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Australian Open 2017: Daria Gavrilova beaten by Karolina Pliskova

Linda Pearce

Daria Gavrilova cannot win this Australian Open, but lost in the fourth round to an opponent – fifth seed Karolina Pliskova – who she believes definitely can. The last local singles hope could not improve on her best grand slam result by reaching her maiden quarter-final, yet can still be satisfied with another solid week's work.

Gavrilova, the world No.26, was outserved and overpowered 6-3, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena by the taller, stronger Pliskova, a finalist at last year's US Open. It took Pliskova 18 majors to pass the third round for the first time, and her semi-final defeat of Serena Williams' ended the American's latest 186-week reign as the world No.1. She could not finish off Angelique Kerber, but that, it seems, was just the beginning.

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Karolina Pliskova dismantled the young Aussie in straight sets, whilst Milos Raonic also progressed.

The 24-year-old appears headed for a likely Melbourne Park semi against the winner of the Serena Williams-Johannah Konta quarter-final, as part of an imposing group completed, most surprisingly, by unseeded Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who boasts a compelling story of her own.

"I think she can definitely win it. I don't want to jinx her, though," Gavrilova said of Pliskova.  "I think she's been really consistent lately. She struggled before at grand slams. I think she changed her mentality. She's feeling confident. She just goes on about her business and does her things. She doesn't show much emotion. She's also a pretty nice girl."

With the roof closed for impending rain, it took just 73 minutes for the door to be shut on Gavrilova's hopes of extending to a maiden grand slam quarter-final her status as the last Australian in either singles draw. She scrapped and persevered, but had few answers to the big-hitting game of Pliskova, the 2010 junior champion at Melbourne Park, who served 12 aces among 27 winners to 14.

Gavrilova lamented a first-serve percentage of less than 50 per cent, and the pressure that put on her second serve. "I think I had a few chances on her returns. You know, we didn't have long rallies. I didn't feel like I had the rhythm. The main thing is my serve. It really let me down."

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But she believes she is a better player than 12 months ago, and was pleased to have backed up her breakthrough result from 2016. "Not many players can do that. And, you know, I had three really tough matches, three sets. I think my emotions were really good."

In her round-of-16 debut last year, Gavrilova crumbled after leading Carla Suarez Navarro by a set and a break, but there was never the luxury of a lead to surrender this time. The Victorian was broken in a four-deuce opening game, and trailed 1-5 before gradually working her way back into the 34-minute set and then breaking again to start the second. But, ultimately, Pliskova had too much game.

Gavrilova considers it a good sign that she got so far, while still able to get so much better. The key to making quarter-finals, semis, even a final, she quipped, was: "A much better match-up in the fourth round."

The fact she was the last Australian at her home slam of two years "is pretty cool. I felt like everyone was watching me and supporting me. So it is nice. But I still lost, so it doesn't feel great right now." 

Pliskova won comfortably despite playing below her best. Now coached by Petra Kvitova's former long-time coach David Kotyza, the quietly-spoken Czech shares some of her Fed Cup teammate's death-or-glory tendencies, but has improved her consistency, return and movement in recent times and will reach a career-high ranking of at least No.4 with this, her best Australian Open result.

She warmed up by winning the Brisbane International, and is yet to lose a match since teaming with Kotyza. There would be more surprising results than Melbourne Park hosting her grandest slam moment on Saturday night, too.

"I feel [the expectations], but I just don't want to think about it that much," she said. "I would like to prove that the people who are talking about me, [that] they are not wrong."