Linda Noskova, the ninth seed, won her first Wimbledon women’s singles title on Centre Court on Saturday, defeating fellow Czech Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in an exciting all-Czech final.
Noskova bounced back brilliantly after losing the second set to win in three sets and claim the greatest title of her career. She showed a calm performance in the championship match.
The 21-year-old used her strong serve throughout the match, hitting 10 aces to Muchova’s six. She won 74% of points behind her first serve and converted four of her 13 break-point opportunities, while she also had a minor advantage in first-serve percentage (75% to 71%).
After losing the opening set, the tenth-seeded Muchova battled back valiantly, winning the second 7-5 to force a decision. Noskova, however, kept her cool during the critical points and used aggressive baseline play to win the match in the last set.
Noskova ended with 109 points to Muchova’s 92, winning 17 games in all, highlighting her dominance over the two-hour fight.
Muchova was forced to accept a runner-up finish despite another spirited performance on the biggest stage of the sport, while Noskova’s first Wimbledon championship and a breakthrough Grand Slam victory were achieved with this victory.
Noskova was the youngest Wimbledon champion since her idol, Petra Kvitova, a Czech legend who saw Noskova’s triumph from the Royal Box after winning the first of her two Wimbledon crowns in 2011, at the age of 21. Kvitova is the only Czech player to win her Grand Slam final debut at Wimbledon, with Noskova joining her.
Following a standout two weeks and a projected career-high ranking of No. 7 on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz rankings on Monday, Noskova exits SW19 with the Venus Rosewater Dish in hand.
Noskova seemed to be cruising to the Wimbledon crown for just over an hour in her maiden Grand Slam final. But with things going her way, Noskova lost her way after leading by a set and 5-2, and Muchova fought back to win the second set 7-5.
To win her maiden Grand Slam championship, Noskova ultimately had to earn six championship points and take the third set.