Surprise parties at the Australian Open

Polish Iga Swiatek, queen of the circuit since the retirement of Australian Ashleigh Barty last March, lost in 8
^es of the final, beaten by the Kazakh Elena Rybakina (25 years old, n
^o 22). ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP

After Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek, the world number 1 has been eliminated. The tournament has fun playing with the hierarchy.

Open house operation. The Australian Open, in particular because of its place in the calendar, has, between the extreme temperatures, often let in a trickle of fresh air. That of surprises. Among the most famous are the title of the Swede Thomas Johansson in 2002, the finals of the Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis (2006), the German Rainer Schüttler (2003), the French Arnaud Clément (2001) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2008), of the American Todd Martin (1994), the performances of the Mexican Angelica Gavaldon (quarter-finalist in 1990) or the Frenchman Stéphane Robert, out of the qualifications in 2014 to climb in 8^es of final.

Or even the surprise eliminations of Steffi Graf, in 1997, winner of the last six Grand Slam titles on which she had lined up, before being dominated that year in 8^es of final by the South African Amanda Coetzer, and the defeat of Mats Wilander, in 1989, then n^o 1, scratched by Indian Ramesh Krishnan on 2^e tower in 1989.

The edition…

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