Australian Open: ‘We are all shocked’ – Reaction to ‘fearless’ Linda Noskova’s stunning upset win over Iga Swiatek

The Rod Laver Arena was left “shocked” by Linda Noskova’s showing in her three-set win against world No. 1 and top seed Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open – that is according to Eurosport’s Laura Robson.

Fellow expert Mats Wilander called Noskova “fearless”, while Tim Henman praised her calm in the biggest match of her career.

On paper, this should have been the Pole’s easiest match of the event after encounters with former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and former Grand Slam finalist Danielle Collins in the previous two rounds.

But, having lost the first set, world No. 50 Noskova fought back to secure the most impressive win of her career.

Robson was full of praise for the 19-year-old.

“I think we are all a little shocked in Rod Laver,” said Robson from her position inside the show court.

“I kept thinking she’d get a little nervous but then she didn’t. She wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion, she came up with some incredible shot-making.”

Robson, though, questioned some of Swiatek’s decision-making in the match.

“As for Iga, that is a really disappointing loss,” added Robson.

“It felt like she didn’t tactically play a great match, it felt like she was trying to out hit Noskova from the baseline instead of trying to play her way into the points a bit more, getting some height, taking some pace off it – as when Linda is in full flight and ripping the ball left and right, there’s not a lot you can do when your opponent is playing like that.”

Mats Wilander and Tim Henman – talking in the Eurosport Cube – praised the poise of the 19-year-old, whose best previous showing at a Grand Slam was the second round at the US Open in 2022.

“Another fearless teenager,” said Wilander. “It is an amazing win – to play in front of 15,000 for the first time and be that relaxed and to serve it out – I can’t imagine how it felt.”

Henman echoed Wilander’s view, praising her calm when she was a set down.

“There was no panic even though she was a set down,” added Henman. “You can just see the quality of her ball-striking.”

“[She produced] such quality tennis and the body language – the belief [when] she was behind but she was staying in the moment.

“I think she won 10 or 11 points in a row at the end of the second set. Suddenly, once you got to a set all, you were like: ‘we have an upset on our hands here’.”

Should Noskova overcome the test of Svitolina, a quarter-final against Victoria Azarenka or Dayana Yastremska awaits.