Teenager stuns world No 1
World No 1 Iga Swiatek has been dumped out of the Australian Open in the third round by unheralded Czech teenager Linda Noskova, throwing the race for the women's title wide open.
Swiatek claimed the first set against world No 50 Noskova and appeared poised to claim her 19th consecutive win and seal progression to the fourth round at Melbourne Park.
But the 19-year-old Czech, who made her main-draw debut this year, fought back and broke Swiatek in the third set before brilliantly serving out the biggest win of her career 3-6 6-3 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.
"I'm speechless," Noskova said. "I knew it was going to be an amazing match, with the world No 1, such a player, but I didn't really think that it would end up like this.
"I'm just really glad to get through this round. I was a little shaky [when serving for the match].
"I didn't hit two first serves, which was not the best start for me, but I pulled out an ace."
Noskova will play either 19th seed Elina Svitolina or Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic in the fourth round.
Swiatek's defeat presents a golden opportunity for Svitolina and two-time winner Victoria Azarenka, both on the Pole's side of the draw, to make a deep run.
Only six seeds are into the fourth round so far, with Svitolina looking to join them on Saturday.
In the opposite bracket, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and world No 4 Coco Gauff will be licking their lips.
Both Gauff and Sabalenka won their fourth round matches yesterday. Gauff beat Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-1 6-2 and Sabalenka was too good for American Amanda Anisimova 6-3 6-2.
Swiatek's defeat means her search for a maiden Melbourne Park title goes on.
The world No 1, who has won at Roland Garros three times and the US Open once, reached the semifinals in 2022 and was knocked out in the fourth round last year.
She reached at least the round of 16 in all four slams last year, with Saturday night’s defeat marking her earliest exit since a third-round loss at Wimbledon in 2022.
The Noskova clash had loomed as a more straightforward affair for Swiatek after tough matches against Sofia Kenin and Danielle Collins. She had won 67 of her previous 68 matches against players ranked outside the top 50.
Meanwhile, German sixth seed Alexander Zverev brushed aside drama in his personal life to win through to the fourth round.
Except for a brief period in the second set, Olympic champion Zverev had it mostly all his own way during a commanding 6-2 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 win against 19-year-old American prospect Alex Michelsen on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night.
The 26-year-old will meet Englishman Cameron Norrie in the fourth round after the 19th seed knocked out highly-rated Norwegian Casper Ruud in four sets.
Zverev has been under scrutiny since German news outlets reported earlier this week he would stand trial in May, during the French Open, after he was ordered to pay fines of €450,000 (A$750,000) over an alleged assault of a former partner.
He contested that fine against him, forcing the case to trial.I