Linda Noskova wins first Grand Slam, lifts Wimbledon women's singles title
London, July 12
Czech tennis star Linda Noskova won her maiden Wimbledon title on Saturday, defeating compatriot Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in the women's singles final to claim the biggest trophy of her career.
The 21-year-old secured her first Grand Slam title and third WTA singles crown, becoming the youngest Wimbledon women's champion since her childhood idol Petra Kvitova, who won the title in 2011 and watched the final from the Royal Box.
With the victory, Noskova became only the second Czech player after Kvitova to win her maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. She is also projected to climb to a career-high World No. 7 in the WTA rankings on Monday.
Despite finishing runner-up, Muchova produced a spirited fightback after saving five championship points in the second set -- the most ever saved in a Grand Slam final -- before forcing the match into a decider. She is expected to move up to a career-best No. 6 in the rankings.
Noskova's triumph further strengthened Czechia's impressive record in women's tennis, making her the country's fifth Grand Slam singles champion and the third Czech woman to lift the Wimbledon title in the last four years.
The final also marked the first Wimbledon women's title clash since 1990 in which both finalists had won grass-court warm-up tournaments heading into the Championships. Noskova had claimed the Berlin title, while Muchova lifted the trophy in Bad Homburg. Noskova also became the first player since Maria Sharapova in 2004 to win both a Wimbledon warm-up event and the Championships in the same season.
Noskova dominated the opening set by breaking Muchova's serve twice to wrap it up in just over 30 minutes. Although Muchova rallied impressively in the second set, saving five championship points and winning five consecutive games to level the contest, Noskova regained control in the decider.
The newly crowned champion earned an early break in the third set and maintained her composure before converting her sixth championship point. She celebrated the biggest victory of her career by dropping to the Centre Court grass after sealing the title.
— ANI
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