World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is out of the Australian Open after her 18-match winning streak was snapped by World No. 50 Linda Noskova, a 19-year old making her main draw debut.
The Czech teenager won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, as Poland’s Swiatek seemed in control at first but with forehand errors making the eventual difference in their third-round meeting.
“I felt like I had everything in control until she broke me in the second set,” said 22-year-old Swiatek. “Sometimes, yeah, I was rushing it. I just wasn’t playing kind of with my intuition and naturally.”
“I’m just really kind of exhausted mentally and physically,” said Noskova after her win. “I just believed my game tonight. I just really wanted this.”
“I’m speechless. I knew it was going to be an amazing match with the world number one but I didn’t really think it would end up like this. I’m just really glad to get through this round.”
The result follows second-round exits from third seed Elena Rybakina, fifth seed Jessica Pegula, and sixth seed Ons Jabeur, as well as a first-round defeat for Naomi Osaka, continuing her high-profile return to tennis after the birth of her daughter.
Only three top ten seeds remain in the draw: Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Barbara Krejcikova.