Noskova ousts No. 1 Swiatek in 3rd round of Aussie Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Already down a set and facing a break point against the top player on the WTA Tour, 50th-ranked Linda Noskova did more than make the result respectable for herself. She won 11 of the next 12 points to take the second set against Iga Swiatek 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 ground strokes, 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 are no players from the top 10 remaining in the top half of the draw. “I’m just really kind of exhausted mentally and physically,” Noskova said in her news conference after the upset. “But I think it was an unbelievable match for me. Playing on center court for the first time and playing Iga for the second time, I really wanted to win this, so I’m just glad that I did it.” Swiatek is a four-time major winner, but the 22-year-old from Poland has never been past the semifinals at Melbourne Park. Even so, she was on an 18-match winning streak that seemed likely to be extended against the 19-year-old Noskova, who is making her main-draw debut at the tournament. Noskova posted a straight-sets win in the first round against fellow Czech player Marie Bouzkova, who was the No. 31 seed, and came through in a three-setter in the second round to beat American wild-card entry McCartney Kessler, who was making her major debut. Kessler, 24, was a Times Free Press Best of Preps girls’ tennis player of the year at Calhoun High School. Noskova will next play Wimbledon semifinalist Elina Svitolina, the No. 19 seed.
FOOTBALL
› ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons interviewed Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Buffalo Bills quarterbacks coach and interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Saturday for their head coaching vacancy. Morris, a former Atlanta assistant, is a familiar addition to the team’s list of candidates. The virtual interviews with Morris and Brady came one day after former longtime New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick completed his second interview with the Falcons. The Falcons also met virtually with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn on Friday and were expected to meet with that team’s offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, this weekend as well. The Lions, who beat the Rams last weekend for their first victory in the NFL playoffs since 1991, host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon in an NFC divisional-round matchup. Before his three seasons with the Rams, Morris served in a variety of roles with Atlanta from 2015-2020, including the final 11 games of the 2020 season as interim head coach. He posted a 4-7 record in charge. Morris was also 17-31 as Tampa Bay’s head coach from 2009-11. During his time in Atlanta, Morris held assistant positions on offense and defense. He served as assistant head coach while coaching wide receivers and the secondary, and he was the defensive coordinator in 2020. The long history with Atlanta made Morris an obvious candidate after Arthur Smith was fired earlier this month after three seasons leading the Falcons, each with a 7-10 record. Brady, the Bills’ quarterbacks coach since 2022, was promoted to interim offensive coordinator during the current season and has helped Buffalo reach the AFC’s divisional round and a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. He was the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator from 2020-21 after stints as an offensive assistant at LSU in 2019, when the 15-0 Tigers were college football national champions, and with the New Orleans Saints in 2017-18. Atlanta has interviewed 11 candidates. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans also spoke with Glenn on Friday night, making him the ninth candidate interviewed virtually in their search for a new coach. The Titans announced they wrapped up their interview with Glenn after speaking with Philadelphia’s Johnson earlier Friday.
GOLF
› LA QUINTA, Calif. — University of Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap fired a 12-underpar 60 to take a three-shot lead over Sam Burns at The American Express tournament Saturday, matching the lowest round by an amateur in PGA Tour history and surging into position for the first victory by a nonprofessional in 33 years. Justin Thomas shot a 61 and was four shots back of the 20-year-old Dunlap, who tore up La Quinta Country Club and moved to 27-under 189 on the Coachella Valley tournament’s three generous courses.