The Australian Open has its biggest shock to date, with teenager Linda Noskova knocking world No.1 Iga Swiatek out of the competition in the third round and the Polish top seed at a loss to explain how she felt.
Swiatek began strongly, winning the opening set 6-3, but after she lost the second by the same score, the decider saw Czech Noskova, 19, break serve twice to win 6-4.
When asked to articulate her feelings so people could understand how she felt, Swiatek hit back with a question of her own.
"Why do you need to understand?" she asked. "Sometimes, I don't even understand, so I don't know if you will.
"I mean, I really wasn't expecting a lot. I just tried to do the best kind of work possible.
"I felt today that, OK, I wasn't playing my best game and I had many things that didn't work in previous rounds."
Swiatek needed a tiebreak to win the first set in her opening match with Sofia Kenin and came back from two breaks down in the deciding set to overcome Danielle Collins, but insists she wasn't feeling the effects of those battles.
"No, physically I felt," she said. "Honestly, I didn't feel anything, so pretty good.
"Mentally as well, I felt like, actually, I came back in my match against Danielle and I could start over and not expect a lot, just try to play my game."
In the end, Noskova won three consecutive games in the final set to make it 5-3 and take control, and Swiatek regretted not seizing her own chances earlier in the match.
"I think she just went all in without any pressure," she said. "She probably knew that she has nothing to lose, you know?
"Maybe I should have done that when I had breakpoints in previous games, but I wanted to be the solid version of myself."
The Pole went out in the fourth round at last year's tournament, but Swiatek is feeling more positive this time around about the season to come.
"Last year, I felt much more off balance," she said. "I felt like the whole season may be tough, just because of the start.
"Last year, I felt like I was just overwhelmed with beginning the year as world No.1. It took me off my balance.
"This year, I feel like I just want to get back to work. I know I'm going to have plenty of chances during the season to show my game."
Reuters
