Melbourne, Australia, Jan 20 (EFE).- Top seed Iga Swiatek became the latest star name to be eliminated from the Australian Open after the Polish player lost 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 to Czechia’s Linda Noskova on Saturday.
Swiatek, champion three times at Roland Garros and once at the US Open, started strongly but was then outplayed by her 19-year-old opponent, who is ranked number 50 in the world.
Swiatek is the latest top-10 player to be eliminated from the early rounds after third seed Elena Rybakina, fifth seed Jessica Pegula and sixth seed Ons Jabeur.
Noskova, who is making her first appearance at the Australian Open, will face Ukraine’s 19th seed Elina Svitolina in the fourth round after she defeated Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic.
Veteran Viktoria Azarenka, who won back-to-back titles in Melbourne in 2012 and 2013, also sealed her spot in the fourth round with 6-1, 7-5 win over Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko.
In the men’s draw, second seed Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time after his opponent, China’s Shang Juncheng, retired in the third set due to injury.
The Spanish star was leading 6-1 6-1 1-0 when his 18-year-old opponent retired with a thigh injury.
«It is not the way anybody wants to move on,» Alcaraz said.
Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev also booked his place in the fourth round with a comfortable 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 win over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliasime, while Germany’s Alexander Zverev saw off American Alex Michelsen in straight sets. EFE
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