WOMEN’S World No.1 Iga Swiatek has been shocked out of the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne after losing to Czech teenager Linda Noskova.
The Polish top seed was beaten 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the third round today by the unseeded 19-year-old, ending her hopes of a first title in Melbourne.
Surprisingly, only three of the top 10 women’s seeds remain in the draw in Melbourne at the end of a remarkable first week.
Swiatek started the tournament with a straight-sets win against former champion Sofia Kenin before staging a comeback to defeat 2022 runner-up Danielle Collins.
In men’s singles, second seed Carlos Alcaraz led a group of players reaching the Australian Open fourth round for the first time today as the second seed enjoyed a short outing that finished with his Chinese opponent Shang Junchen pulling up injured.
Alcaraz eased through two sets against Shang 6-1, 6-1 before his ailing 18-year-old opponent threw in the towel while trailing 1-0 in the third.
While Shang fell short in his attempt to become the first Chinese man to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam in the Open era, the country will have a women’s singles player in the second week as 12th seed Zheng Qinwen beat Wang Yafan.
Zheng, who was named the WTA Tour’s most improved player in the 2023 season after winning Asian Games gold and the Zhengzhou title beat her compatriot 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.
Former Flushing Meadows champion Sloane Stephens also lost out in women’s singles, the American going down 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 to Anna Kalinskaya.
By making it to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time, Kalinskaya is already assured of her biggest payday – nearly $250,000.
French wildcard Arthur Cazaux sealed a breezy 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win over Dutch 28th seed Tallon Griekspoor to reach the last 16 at a major for the first time where he will meet ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.
Hurkacz overcame Frenchman Ugo Humbert 3-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-3.
Dayana Yastremska will return to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time since Wimbledon 2019 after her 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 win over American 27th seed Emma Navarro.
The Ukrainian will next come up against twice former champion Victoria Azarenka, who fought back from 4-1 down in the second set to beat 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko to go through 6-1, 7-5.
PHOTO: Linda Noskova.
