WORLD NUMBER one Iga Swiatek’s 18-match winning run came to a shuddering halt at the Australian Open on Saturday when she was dumped out in the third round by unseeded Czech teen Linda Noskova.
The Polish top seed appeared en route to the last 16 afer taking the first set but lost her way, going down 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 20 minutes to the world number 50.
Just three of the top 10 women’s seeds remain in the draw in Melbourne at the end of the first week.
“I’m speechless,” said Noskova, who is at her first Australian Open. “I knew it was going to be an amazing match, but I didn’t really think it would end up like this.
“I’m just really glad to get through.”
Swiatek, 22, who produced a stunning second-round comeback to beat former finalist Danielle Collins, broke in the sixth game and went on to take the first set in 43 minutes.
Both women faced pressure on their serves in a tight second set and fended off break points until the eighth game, when Noskova broke to love to lead 5-3 before serving out.
Swiatek cracked in the third game of the decider, putting herself in deep trouble, but she hit back immediately after speaking with her coaching team on court.
But she came under pressure on her serve again, saving another break point to edge ahead 3-2.
That proved a temporary stay of execution as she netted with a forehand in the seventh game to give Noskova another break for a 4-3 lead and she held serve for 5-3.
Swiatek held her own serve and then won the first two points as Noskova served for the match. But the Czech player kept her head, producing an ace to set up match point and sealing the deal.
Noskova will face either Ukrainian 19th seed Elina Svitolina or Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic next.
Elsewhere, two-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev swept past Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime for a seventh straight time Saturday to power into the last 16 at the Australian Open despite feeling sluggish.
The Russian third seed was in the zone to win 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 and set up a clash against Portugal’s world number 69 Nuno Borges, who upset Bulgarian 13th seed Grigor Dimitrov in four sets.
It was a vastly different match from his late-night escape from two sets down against Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round, a contest that finished at 3:40am on Friday.
Medvedev admitted the early-hours finish had taken its toll, saying he had not got to bed until 7:00 am.
“It was not easy, I’m not feeling fresh, I’m not feeling 100%,” said the Russian, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2021 Melbourne Park final and Rafael Nadal a year later.
“It was tough, especially after the last match I had.
“I felt it was hard for me when I ran, so I tried to always give him a tough shot so I didn’t have to run. Finally, especially in the third set, I managed to pull off some good shots and am happy about my game.”
Medvedev came into the clash with a flawless 6-0 record against the 27th seed.
That included saving a match point to beat the Canadian in a titanic five-set struggle in the 2022 quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.
This time it was a one-sided affair, with Medvedev earning an early break in the opening set and rarely letting up.
Against the odds, the Canadian broke immediately in the second set, but it was a temporary blip, with Medvedev getting back on level terms at 3-3.
The world number three, who has a phenomenal knack of turning defence into attack, switched up a gear to take a two-set lead after some entertaining baseline rallies.
He was unrelenting in the third set, on a mission to reach the finish line, which he did in two hours and nine minutes.
Results on day seven of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday (x denotes seeding):
Men’s singles
3rd round
Arthur Cazaux (FRA) bt Tallon Griekspoor (NED x28) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
Nuno Borges (POR) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x13) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6)
Daniil Medvedev (RUS x3) bt Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x27) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
Cameron Norrie (GBR x19) bt Casper Ruud (NOR x11) 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-3
Hubert Hurkacz (POL x9) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA x21) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) bt Tommy Paul (USA x14) 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-0
Carlos Alcaraz (ESP x2) bt Shang Juncheng (CHN) 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 ret
Women’s singles
3rd round
Linda Noskova (CZE) bt Iga Swiatek (POL x1) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Victoria Azarenka (BLR x18) bt Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x11) 6-1, 7-5
Dayana Yastremska (UKR) bt Emma Navarro (USA x27) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
Jasmine Paolini (ITA x26) bt Anna Blinkova (RUS) 7-6 (7/1), 6-4
Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) bt Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-7 (8/10), 6-1, 6-4
Zheng Qinwen (CHN x12) bt Wang Yafan (CHN) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10/8)
Oceane Dodin (FRA) bt Clara Burel (FRA) 6-2, 6-4
