Melbourne Park title: Czech teenager Linda Noskova stuns Top seed Iga Swiatek

MELBOURNE: Top seed Iga Swiatek crashed out of the Australian Open on Saturday, losing 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Czech teenager Linda Noskova in the third round as her bid for a maiden Melbourne Park title and fifth Grand Slam trophy fell apart.

The Pole, more accustomed to breezing past opponents with the odd "bagel" or 6-0 scoreline thrown in, had struggled in Melbourne, enduring a first-set tiebreak in her opener against Sofia Kenin before fighting back from the brink of defeat to oust Danielle Collins last time out.

Noskova, 19, emerged as a tricky third-round opponent with three top-10 wins under her belt, but Swiatek looked in no mood to be dragged into another dogfight as she broke in the sixth game and held to love in the next to take charge.

The 22-year-old barely let the intensity drop after taking the first set as she forced Melbourne Park debutant Noskova into uncomfortable positions in the second by working the angles and launching big forehands.

But the Czech held firm, responding with some explosive hitting of her own and breaking en route to levelling up the contest before heaping the pressure on the four-times major champion to take a 2-1 lead in the decider.

Swiatek looked to have composed herself during a brief pause in play as doctors attended to a sick supporter in the crowd and broke back, but Noskova did not relent and got her nose in front again to close out the match on serve and complete a huge upset.

Carlos Alcaraz eased into the fourth round for the first time after Chinese wildcard Shang Juncheng retired hurt while trailing their uneven contest 6-1, 6-1, 1-0.

In the unusual position of playing someone younger than himself, twice Grand Slam champion Alcaraz had simply dominated 18-year-old Shang for just over an hour on Rod Laver Arena.

Daniil Medvedev raced into the second week of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime, showing few signs of fatigue after his marathon late-night outing in the second round.

The Russian third seed, who came from two sets down to beat Emil Ruusuvuori well into the early hours of Friday morning, looked at his clinical best as he eased into the fourth round for fifth time.

Medvedev, back-to-back losing finalist in Melbourne in 2021 and 2022, moves on to a meeting with Portuguese world number 69 Nuno Borges in the last 16 who beat 13th seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6.

Twice former champion Victoria Azarenka took her career record against Jelena Ostapenko to 4-0 on Saturday with a 6-1 7-5 victory in the third round.

Azarenka won both her Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park and the 34-year-old showed just how much she enjoys the tournament with her fourth straight win over the 2017 French Open champion.

The 18th seed next faces Dayana Yastremska after the Ukrainian qualifier scored a 6-2 2-6 6-1 win against 27th seed Emma Navarro.

It was the end of the road for former Flushing Meadows champion Sloane Stephens after the American lost 6-7(8), 6-1, 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 - though she seemed in no rush to spend it.

Italy's Jasmine Paolini blitzed Russia's Anna Blinkova 7-6(1), 6-4 to set up a last-16 meeting with fellow fourth-round debutant Kalinskaya.

Zheng Qinwen, the 12th seed, won a final set tiebreak to beat compatriot Wang Yafan 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(8) on Rod Laver Arena.

Zheng, who was named the WTA Tour's most improved player in the 2023 season after winning Asian Games gold and the Zhengzhou title, will no doubt be inspired by memories of Li Na's triumphant campaign in 2014.

Zheng, who reached the quarter-finals of the US Open last year, next plays Oceane Dodin after she prevailed in an all-French third-round duel with Clara Burel 6-2, 6-4.

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. Agencies

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