Elina Svitolina demonstrated her outstanding form at the Australian Open, securing three comfortable victories with an average of only 4.3 games lost per match, reminiscent of her stellar 2023 performances where she clinched a title and reached the quarterfinals of the French Open and Wimbledon semifinals. However, her quarterfinal match took an unexpected turn against Linda Noskova.
In a surprising upset, Noskova eliminated the world No. 1, Iga Swiatek, in the third round with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, marking her successful debut in the main draw of the Australian Open. Despite Svitolina initially trailing 0-2, the match’s dynamics changed when she experienced physical problems, particularly discomfort in her lower back. This led to a medical timeout, and upon her return, Svitolina, visibly in pain, retired from the match after losing her service game.
While Svitolina left the court in tears, Noskova advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinals, maintaining her championship aspirations. At just 19 years old, Noskova’s remarkable journey continues. Despite the unfortunate end to Svitolina’s campaign, her performance secured significant points, ensuring her place within the top 20 at the conclusion of the Australian Open.
Noskova is now set to face Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the quarterfinals, having already achieved a career-high ranking within the top 30. In a post-match interview, Noskova shared her focus during the tournament and humorously revealed that her favourite activity on non-match days is sleeping.
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