Australian Open 2024 Results: Instant Reactions to Saturday's Winners and Losers
Czech teenager Linda Noskova produced the biggest upset of the 2024 Australian Open to date on Saturday, as she took down No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek in three sets.
Noskova's come-from-behind win sent shockwaves throughout the women's singles draw. Swiatek was expected to at least reach the semifinals with so many seeded players already eliminated.
The win was the biggest of Noskova's career and it allowed her to continue her best run at a Grand Slam in her young career. She entered Melbourne with a 2-5 record in Grand Slams.
The top half of the women's singles draw is now wide open and that could allow a previous Australian Open champion to return to the final a decade after her last triumph in Melbourne.
Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev kept order in the men's singles draw with victories on Saturday.
All three title contenders will be expected to reach the quarterfinals to set up what could be an incredible final few days in the men's bracket.
Saturday Results
1 of 3
Men's Singles
No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz def. Juncheng Sheng, 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 (retired)
No. 3 Daniil Medvedev def. No. 27 Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 Alexander Zverev def. Alex Michelsen, 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-2
No. 9 Hubert Hurkacz def. No. 21 Ugo Humbert, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-3
Miomir Kecmanovic def. No. 14 Tommy Paul, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-0
No. 19 Cameron Norrie def. No. 11 Casper Ruud, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-3
Nuno Borges def. No. 13 Grigor Dimitrov, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (6)
Arthur Cazaux def. No. 28 Tallon Griekspoor, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
Women's Singles
Linda Noskova def. No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
No. 12 Zheng Qinwen def. Wang Yafan, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8)
No. 18 Victoria Azarenka def. No. 11 Jelena Ostapenko, 6-1, 7-5
No. 19 Elina Svitolina def. Viktorija Golubic, 6-2, 6-3
No. 26 Jasmine Paolini def. Anna Blinkova, 7-6 (1), 6-4
Dayana Yastremska def. No. 27 Emma Navarro, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
Anna Kalinskaya def. Sloane Stephens, 6-7 (8), 6-1, 6-4
Oceane Dodin def. Clara Burel, 6-2, 6-4
Linda Noskova Upsets Iga Swiatek
2 of 3
Noskova produced the upset of the tournament inside Rod Laver Arena.
The unseeded Czech teenager appeared to be the latest loser to the top-seeded Swiatek when she fell 6-3 in the first set.
However, Noskova rallied back to win the second set and then completed the comeback with a 6-4 win in the third set.
Noskova displayed plenty of confidence throughout her comeback, as well as in her post-match press conference, per Eurosport.
"I just know when I'm gonna be aggressive, I can play with anyone," Noskova said.
Noskova became the first teenager to upset the world No. 1 at a Grand Slam since Petra Kvitova did so at the 2009 U.S. Open, per WTATennis.com.
Swiatek's loss means she has now been eliminated in the fourth round or earlier at the last three hard-court majors. She won the 2022 U.S. Open and was a semifinalist in Melbourne in the same year, but most of her success has come at the French Open.
Noskova's upset broke the women's singles bracket wide open. There is just one Grand Slam champion, Victoria Azarenka, left in the top half of the draw and six of the top eight seeds have been eliminated.
Azarenka should be viewed as the favorite to make the final from the top half now. Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff avoided the upsets in the bottom half through three rounds.
Azarenka is a two-time Australian Open champion and she made it to the semifinals last year in Melbourne.
Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev Win Easily
3 of 3
The top-ranked men who played on Saturday faced few difficulties on court.
That was a welcome sight for Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev after a chaotic second round on Thursday.
Alcaraz breezed through two sets before Juncheng Shang retired after the first game of the third set with an injury. Alcaraz won 13 of the 16 games contested.
Medvedev breezed past Felix Auger-Aliassime two days after he was pushed to five sets by Emil Ruusuvuori.
Zverev eliminated American teenager Alex Michelsen in three sets in Saturday's final match.
All three players needed easier matches after each of them dropped at least one set in the second round.
The men's singles draw seems to be building up to a blockbuster finish now that the early hiccups have been avoided.
Medvedev and Zverev are one win each away from playing in the quarterfinals and the winner of that potential match would face Alcaraz in the semifinals.
Eleven of the 16 men left in the tournament are seeded players. All four of Sunday's fourth-round matches pit ranked players against each other.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
