The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top-seeded Swiatek upset by Czech teen in third round
Noskova, 19, rallies from set down to pull off stunner.
Already down a set and facing a break point against Iga Swiatek, No. 50-ranked Linda Noskova decided she had nothing to lose.
She won 11 of the next 12 points to take the second set and swing momentum in their third-round match Saturday, ultimately becoming the first teenager to beat a No. 1-ranked woman at the Australian Open since 1999.
With a big serve and equally big groundstrokes, Noskova, 19, unsettled Swiatek and held her cool, even under pressure in the last game to serve it out, for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory that means there’s no top-10 players remaining in the top half of the draw.
“I’m just really kind of exhausted mentally and physically,” said Noskova, a Czech who turned pro in 2019. “I just believed (in) my game tonight. I just really wanted this.”
Swiatek is a four-time major winner but never has been past the semifinals at Melbourne Park. Even so, she was on an 18-match winning streak and expected to account for Noskova, who is making her main draw debut at the tournament.
Swiatek beat Sofia Kenin in the first round, then rallied from 4-1 down in the third to overcome Danielle Collins in the second. But after taking the first set against Noskova, she struggled. The decisive break was in the seventh game of the third set, with two forehand errors costing Swiatek the game.
Two games later, she held
at love and forced her rival serve it out, then jumped to 0-30 lead in the 10th game. But Noskova won the next four points to finish it off quickly, including an ace to set up match point. She’ll next play Elina Svitolina.
Swiatek said the tough opening matches didn’t hurt her.
“Physically I felt — honestly, I didn’t feel anything. So pretty good,” she said. “Mentally, as well . ... ,I felt like I had everything under control until she broke me in the second set.”
Swiatek’s loss leaves No. 12 Zheng Qinwen as the highest-ranked player and twotime Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka as the only past major winner in the top half of the draw. Second-seeded and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, fourth-seeded Coco Gauff and No. 9 Barbora Krejcikova are in the opposite half.
Azarenka took out Jelena
Ostapenko 6-1, 7-5 on Saturday. She trailed 5-2 in the second before winning five straight games. Azarenka’s next opponent will be qualifier Dayana Yastremska, a 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 winner over No. 27 Emma Navarro.
Anna Kalinskaya beat Sloane Stephens 6-7 (8), 6-1, 6-4 to set up a meeting with Jasmine Paolini. Paolini advanced 7-6 (1), 6-4 over Anna Blinkova, who was coming off an upset of 2023 finalist Elena Rybakina in the longest tiebreaker in women’s Grand Slam history.
The men’s draw remains stacked, with No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 3 Daniil Medvedev and No. 6 Alexander Zverev having straight-set wins Saturday to reach the fourth round. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic, No. 4 Jannik Sinner and No. 5 Andrey Rublev already had reached the last 16 on the top half of the draw.
Medvedev beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-4,
6-3 and finished 2 1/2 hours before midnight local time. His second-round match finished close to 4 a.m. Friday.
He next plays Nuno Borges, who upset No. 13 Grigor Dimitrov 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (6).
Wimbledon champion Alcaraz was leading 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 when Shang Juncheng retired in the third set.
“It’s not the way you want to move on,” said Alcaraz, a former world No. 1 who missed the 2023 Australian Open because of a right leg injury. “Last year I was watching the matches from my couch, wishing to be in the second week.”
Alcaraz will play Miomir Kecmanovic, who upset 2023 semifinalist Tommy Paul 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-0.
No. 9 Hubert Hurkacz beat No. 21 Ugo Humbert 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-3 and next plays wildcard entry Arthur Cazaux. No. 11 seed Casper Ruud lost 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-3 to No. 19 Cam Norrie.