Noskova Beats Fellow Czech Muchova For Wimbledon Title

Linda Noskova became the youngest Wimbledon Ladies Singles champion since her idol and fellow Czech Petra Kvitovam, defeating another Czech, 10th seed Karolina Muchova, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in a long-fought battle on Centre Court of the All-England Club on Saturday afternoon. 

“It is definitely something that I’m going to remember forever, but it will definitely take me a few days to realize it,” said Noskova. “On the last match point, I didn’t even realize that I had a match point. I kept going. That’s what really won it for me, that I didn’t exactly put it into my head.”

That last match point was the sixth one presented to Noskova on Saturday. After breaking for a 3-1 lead in the opening set, Noskova would break once more to take the opening set in just over a half hour.

Her strong serving continued into the second set, and would build a commanding 5-2 lead, setting up championship points for herself on Muchova’s serve. But her counterpart saved three championship points in that game to hold, and then Noskova saw a fourth championship point go by the wayside as she was broken to bring the set back on serve.

Muchova would save an improbable fifth championship point on her own serve and from 2-5 down, rattled off five straight games to claim the set and force the Wimbledon title to be decided by a third set. 

Noskova went to her bench and put a towel over her head before heading back to the locker room before the start of the third set. 

“The crowd was so loud, and it was after the games that I have lost, so I was just trying to be with myself for a little time,” said Noskova. “Something that my coach told me last night was, ‘if you need a moment, take it, get out of the court or just be with yourself for a moment.’”

She added:

“I was just telling myself that the match is starting over. I was in the bathroom, I just splashed some cold water on me, started over again. What really helped me–like the first step I took off court–the trophies were there. I was like, ‘I’m not going to take the small one, I’m taking the big one.’”

Noskova did just that. She broke Muchova early and did not blink on her own serve, sealing the title on her sixth championship point.

“If I’m going to leave my soul on court in the third set, whatever that be,” she admitted. “I just kind of started to focus on myself all over again, which was the key point.”

As a result, Noskova moves up to seventh in the world, while Muchova, now 0-2 in major finals in her career, moves up to sixth. 

“I felt the momentum in the second set that I turned it around,” said Muchova. “It was definitely nice that it happened. It took some strength out of me. Unfortunately then the start of the third kind of slipped through my fingers.”