World number one <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/swiatek-helps-poland-storm-into-final-23328651" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Iga Swiatek</a> said she had failed to play her &ldquo;natural&rdquo; game after her 18-match winning run came to a shuddering halt at the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/balaji-cornea-lose-bopanna-babos-pull-out-of-mixed-doubles-23330987" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Australian Open</a> on Saturday.&nbsp;
The Polish top seed was beaten 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 in the third round by unseeded Czech teen Linda Noskova&mdash;ending her hopes of a first title in Melbourne. Just three of the top 10 women&rsquo;s seeds remain in the draw in Melbourne at the end of the first week.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/medvedev-on-fire-but-late-finish-takes-toll-23330989" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Medvedev on fire, but late finish takes toll</a>
<img title="Linda Noskova" src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2024/jan/iga-carl-c_e.jpg" alt="Linda Noskova" width="1280" height="720" />Linda Noskova
A crestfallen Swiatek said she felt the match was under control until she was broken in the second set. &ldquo;I was rushing it,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I just wasn&rsquo;t playing kind of with my intuition and naturally. For sure I was more stressed than in other tournaments, especially the first two rounds,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But I think some things just didn&rsquo;t work as they did before, even though I was working the same way. I feel like I did really everything I could in pre-season to improve some stuff that I wanted to.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/dhillon-naruka-secure-18th-19th-oly-quotas-23330986" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dhillon, Naruka secure 18th, 19th Oly quotas</a>
<img title="Carlos Alcaraz against Juncheng Shang in Melbourne on Saturday" src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2024/jan/iga-carl-b_e.jpg" alt="Carlos Alcaraz against Juncheng Shang in Melbourne on Saturday" width="1280" height="720" />Carlos Alcaraz against Juncheng Shang in Melbourne on Saturday
&ldquo;Then I came here and I wasn&rsquo;t playing kind of natural anymore. I don&rsquo;t know, like my split step was too late sometimes, reaction a little bit slower, some other things.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Noskova will face Ukrainian 19th seed Elina Svitolina in the last 16 on Monday.
A day after defending champion <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/no-sweat-for-champs-23330807" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Novak Djokovic</a> returned to top form, men&rsquo;s World No. 2 Alcaraz laid down a marker in a lopsided contest against Chinese teenager Shang Juncheng lasting just 66 minutes.&nbsp;
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. &nbsp; Dominant Alcaraz did not face a single break point to set up a last-16 meeting with Serbia&rsquo;s Miomir Kecmanovic, who saved two match points to beat last year&rsquo;s semi-finalist Tommy Paul 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-0.&nbsp;
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Stunned World No. 1 Swiatek feels she was rushing her game in 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 loss to 50th ranked Noskova; Alcaraz enters Round 4

‘I wasn’t playing naturally’

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‘I wasn’t playing naturally’

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