Wimbledon: Noskova, Kostyuk reach maiden semifinals in London
London, July 9
Czech tennis player Linda Noskova made history during the ongoing Wimbledon tournament on Wednesday, becoming the youngest player to reach the first-ever semifinal in London, at the age of 21.
Linda outclassed Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5 in straight sets, becoming the youngest since fellow Czech Petra Kvitova in 2010 to book a first-ever Wimbledon semifinal appearance, as per Wimbledon's official website.
After this landmark win over Mertens, the ninth seed aims to emulate the two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova, saying, "I would love to follow in her footsteps. If the outcome's going to be the same, I would love nothing more."
On the other hand, Marta Kostyuk also booked her place in the semifinals with a win over Jasmine Paolini, the 2024 edition finalist. The only former finalist in the women's draw was sent packing by another Czech player, making the total number of Czech women's players to reach Wimbledon semifinals since 2000 eight, more than any other country.
Kostyuk beat Paolini in straight sets by 6-3, 6-2.
Following the match, the number 12 seed admitted to having a practice walk around the centre court on Tuesday to calm her nerves, saying, "Thank God my coach made me walk here yesterday. I was flabbergasted by this entrance and everything inside."
"I was like, wow, I need one day to recover from what I saw. I was on this court as a spectator once, nine years ago, watching Roger Federer. It was super special. To be back here as a player, I made a walk of honour on the Centre Court and took a moment, soaked it all in, and now I am here after a win."
"My first time playing on this unbelievable court and obviously a dream come true. Winning here was not even in the plans today, I just wanted to go out and enjoy, put on a good show. It is always incredible to play in front of a packed stadium, and here I feel like it's always packed. Thank you so much for your energy today," she signed off.
— ANI
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