Australian Open — Linda Noskova’s upset of No. 1 Iga Swiatek

MELBOURNE, Australia — World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has been upset within the third spherical of the Australian Open by Fiftieth-ranked Czech teen Linda Noskova.

Swiatek claimed the primary set and appeared prone to safe passage into the fourth spherical, however Noskova, 19, rallied with steely resolve to avoid wasting break factors after which convert her personal to take the second.

With the strain on the world No. 1 Swiatek — who had gained 67 of her earlier 68 matches in opposition to gamers ranked exterior the highest 50 — Noskova broke twice within the decider to safe her place within the second week.

Swiatek’s loss means it is simply the second time the No. 1-seeded lady hasn’t made it to the fourth spherical of the Australian Open, after Virginia Ruzici was dumped within the spherical of 32 in 1979. Noskova is the primary teenager to defeat a WTA No. 1 in a serious since 19-year-old Petra Kvitova defeated Dinara Safina within the third spherical of the 2009 US Open.

So what went mistaken for Swiatek? Listed below are three takeaways from her early exit.

World No. 1 did not capitalize on break-point probabilities

In a good second set, the four-time main champ twice had the chance to interrupt her youthful opponent’s serve however did not take benefit.

With Noskova serving within the fifth sport at 2-2, Swiatek was unable to transform a break level after her opponent despatched down a serve vast to the backhand that Swiatek could not get again over the web.

In Noskova’s subsequent service sport, Swiatek once more had a break-point alternative, and on her opponent’s second serve, however she hit the backhand into the web. Swiatek then bought damaged to like, as Noskova reeled off 11 of the subsequent 12 factors to take the set.

“I felt like I had all the pieces beneath management till she broke me within the second set,” Swiatek stated.

“I had couple of probabilities to interrupt her in second set and I did not use them. In order that’s a disgrace. However when she broke me, she was sort of proactive.”

Throughout the match, Swiatek transformed simply 2 of seven break-point alternatives (29%) — one within the first set and one within the third after Novoska had already damaged — to her opponent’s 3 of seven. In her first two matches, Swiatek transformed extra persistently at 44% and 47%.

Swiatek confronted ‘second-week challenges’ within the first two rounds

As a world No. 1 and the No. 1 seed at a Grand Slam, you are likely to count on a better draw within the early rounds. In spite of everything, you are not anticipated to satisfy the No. 2 till the ultimate — if all issues go to plan — nor different high seeds till effectively into the second week of the event.

However what Swiatek could not account for was the luck of the draw. Whereas not at her Australian Open-winning finest, Swiatek’s first-round matchup with unseeded 2020 champion Sofia Kenin raised eyebrows. Many had it circled as a possible upset within the first spherical, however Swiatek was in a position to overcome an early problem from Kenin to win 7-6, 6-2, solely to progress to the second spherical to face one other unseeded American in 2022 runner-up Danielle Collins.

Collins additionally proved difficult; pushing Swiatek to a few units earlier than the world No. 1 prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

“For positive I used to be extra pressured than on different tournaments, particularly within the first two rounds,” Swiatek stated after the loss.

“However I believe some issues simply did not work as they did earlier than, although I used to be working the identical manner.

“I really feel like I did actually all the pieces I may in preseason to enhance some stuff that I wished to. Then I got here right here and I wasn’t enjoying sort of pure anymore. I do not know, like my break up step was too late generally. Response somewhat bit slower. Another issues.”

The longer term is shiny for Czech ladies’s tennis

9 Czech ladies made up the 128 gamers within the Australian Open ladies’s major attract 2024, and whereas the small European nation has all the time had success in world tennis, it is clear the subsequent era goes to proceed within the footsteps of the present crop of stars.

The nation is not any stranger to gamers making deep Slam runs, boasting final yr’s Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, 2021 Roland Garros winner Barbora Krejcikova and two-time Slam finalist Karolina Pliskova, and Noskova is now one in every of various Czech teenagers beginning to make their mark on the senior stage.

Ranked No. 50 on the earth coming into the event, this was Noskova’s first time in the principle draw of the Australian Open, and together with sisters Brenda (16 years outdated) and Linda Fruhvirtova (18), she represents the upcoming energy of Czech tennis — particularly on the ladies’s aspect.

“I do know that I’ve improved loads within the final yr and a half, yr. I simply believed my sport tonight,” Noskova stated after the win.

“I simply actually wished this win as a result of I did not actually come to that court docket with the considered, like, I’ve nothing to lose. I took it very severely. It was like a match as every other.”