No. 1 Swiatek exits Aussie Open in 3rd round

NEWS+NOTES

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Linda Noskova plays a forehand return to Iga Swiatek during their third-round match at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, on Saturday. ANDY WONG — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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MELBOURNE, Australia >> Already down a set and facing a break point against Iga Swiatek, No. 50-ranked Linda Noskova decided she had nothing to lose.

She won 11 of the next 12 points to take the second set and swing momentum in their third-round match Saturday, ultimately becoming the first teenager to beat a No. 1-ranked woman at the Australian Open since 1999.

With a big serve and equally big groundstrokes, she unsettled Swiatek and held her cool, even under pressure in the last game to serve it out, for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory that means there’s no top 10 players in the top half of the draw.

Swiatek is a four-time major winner but has never been past the semifinals at Melbourne Park. Even so, she was on an 18-match winning streak and expected to account for the 19-year-old Noskova, who is making her main draw debut at the tournament.

Swiatek beat 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round and had to rally from 4-1 down in the third to overcome 2022 finalist Danielle Collins in the second.

Hockey

Islanders fire coach >> Patrick Roy is the new coach of the New York Islanders, hired in a stunning midseason change behind the bench that came with the firing of Lane Lambert.

President of hockey operations and general manager Lou Lamoriello announced the move to dismiss Lambert and bring in Roy, who hasn’t coached in the NHL in nearly a decade.

Golf

McIlroy roars into contention >> Rory McIlroy surged into contention at the Dubai Desert Classic by finishing off a 9-under 63 with an eagle on the final hole that left him two shots behind leader Cameron Young.

The No. 2-ranked McIlroy, the defending champion, started the day 10 strokes behind Young. But he made four straight birdies from the seventh hole and then rolled in a 45-foot eagle putt from off the green at 18 to cap a flawless round at Emirates Golf Club.

Ko leads by two shots >> Lydia Ko moved closer to her first victory in 14 months, shooting a 4-under 68 to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Tournament of Champions.

The 26-year-old from New Zealand is seeking her 20th career victory and first since the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in 2022.

Skiing

Hector beats Shiffrin >> In a race overshadowed by a season-ending knee injury for home favorite Petra Vlhova following a crash, Olympic champion Sara Hector dominated an eventful women’s World Cup giant slalom for her first win in nearly two years.

Hector posted the fastest time in both runs as she led American star Mikaela Shiffrin by 1.52 seconds. New Zealand’s Alice Robinson trailed by 2.71 in third.