World number one Iga Swiatek joined the rapid exit of top-10 women’s seeds from the Australian Open on January 20 as Carlos Alcaraz sent a chilling warning to his rivals.
Poland’s Swiatek came into the third-round match against Czech teenager Linda Noskova on an 18-match unbeaten run, targeting a first title at Melbourne Park.
But the tournament is turning into a graveyard for the stars and the 22-year-old four-time major winner lost her way after winning the first set, going down 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
A crestfallen Swiatek said she felt the match was under control until she was broken in the second set.
“I feel like I did really everything I could in pre-season to improve some stuff that I wanted to,” she said. “Then I came here and I wasn’t playing kind of natural anymore.”
Noskova, playing in her first Australian Open, said she was “speechless”.
“I knew it was going to be an amazing match, but I didn’t really think it would end up like this,” said the 50th-ranked player, who faces Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina next.
Just three of the top 10 women’s seeds remain in the draw at the end of the first week — defending champion and hot favourite Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Barbora Krejcikova.
Alcaraz stars
A day after defending champion Novak Djokovic returned to top form, men’s world number two Alcaraz laid down a marker in a lopsided contest against Chinese teenager Shang Juncheng lasting just 66 minutes.
The 20-year-old, playing a tour-level match against a player younger than himself for the first time in his career, was leading 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 when his 18-year-old opponent had to retire.
Shang entered the clash on Rod Laver Arena with his upper right thigh strapped and received treatment on the injury during the second set.
Dominant Alcaraz did not face a single break point to set up a last-16 meeting with Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic, who saved two match points to beat last year’s semi-finalist Tommy Paul 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-0.
The Spanish second seed is vying with Djokovic for the number one ranking and if they both reach the final it will double as a straight shootout for the top spot.
Alcaraz, who missed last year’s Australian Open with an injury, said it was “not the way anybody wants to move on” after the injury to Shang.
But he added: “This is the first time I have moved to the second week in Australia. It feels special.”
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