Noskov’s life scalp! The 17-year-old Czech eliminated Cornet in Prague and is in the quarterfinals!

Winner of last year’s Paris Junior Linda Noskova in recent weeks he has been selling his great potential. In May, she made her Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros and immediately went through the three-round qualification and upset last year’s US Open winner Emma Raducanu in the main event.

Subsequently, she played her biggest semi-final in Makarska (WTA 125k), three weeks ago in Versmold, Germany (ITF W100) she achieved her sixth overall and most valuable triumph to date, and now she is playing her best tournament on the WTA circuit (only second overall) on home soil in Prague’s Stromovka ).

Starting as a wild card, the 17-year-old Czech got her first win in the first round after a scratch from Natalie Vichljantseva, and today she won for the first time even after using a match point. And immediately against the 38th player in the world Alizé Cornetove, which she defeated after almost two and a half hours of fighting 7-5 1-6 7-6. She played the Top 100 member for the third time and won for the first time.

“In the adults, it’s definitely my biggest victory in my career. I’ve won some tournaments, but they were ITF. This is the WTA, that’s why I value these wins the most. Moreover, it’s against a player from the top 100, which I haven’t managed yet.” Nosková said at the press conference.

The protégé of coach Tomáš Krupa went for the victory of her life already in the opening set, which she won in the end. The quarterfinalist of the last Wimbledon, where she ended the winning streak of world number one Iga Šwiateková, however, got knocked around, dominated the second set and forced a third set.

In it, each tennis player lost serve once and the match came to a shortened game. In it, Nosková, the 112th player in the world, was losing 0-2, but to the delight of the audience she turned the tie-break after six balls in a row and had four match points at her disposal. But Cornetová did not give up this time either, she turned everyone away and did the same with the fifth match point at 6-7. It was only when Nosková forced a sixth chance to end the match that she capitulated.

“Mostly the match points were that she played it, it went to the line and I didn’t react the best to it. She played it well and I made a few unforced errors. But in the end I managed it and I’m glad for it,” commented Nosková.

Into her first career Tour-level quarterfinal

Linda Noskova defeats Cornet to reach the last eight in Prague!#PragueOpen pic.twitter.com/4HYlIXlJ3v

— wta (@WTA) July 28, 2022

While her compatriot and peer Lucie Havlíčková admitted after the match with world number two Anett Kontaveitová that she mainly wanted to enjoy the match, Nosková went into the duel against Cornet with the determination to win. “The coach just told me that I shouldn’t enjoy it, but go win. That I can enjoy something else. I have the same opinion about it,” Nosková said with a smile.

The match was all the more difficult for her because Cornet is known for her excellent defense. Nosková was often able to push her into the defensive, but the Frenchwoman won exchanges in her favor even from difficult positions.

“I knew it would be difficult, especially from this side. I went with it. But it was still exhausting. Especially mentally, that the exchange still hasn’t ended,” Nosková pointed out. The match therefore lasted two hours and 27 minutes. “I feel quite tired. It took a lot of strength from me. Alizé is a sustaining player who wants to run a lot and play through exchanges, and I am the exact opposite. We somehow averaged it out, but it was still quite long,” said Nosková.

After the match, she was therefore looking forward to rest. “I’ll probably spend the next three hours in the cold water,” said the seventeen-year-old tennis player with a smile. “I’ll have a good dinner and go to bed early,” she added.

A semi-final would mean a Top 100 spot
Nosková will play against the 251st player in the world for the semifinals and a move into the Top 100 No Hibinova. A Japanese woman who only made it to the main competition as a lucky loser, today she surprisingly knocked out defending champion Barbora Krejčíková.

“In general, I don’t look beyond the upcoming round. But it will be a tough match. Hibinová beat Barbora Krejčíková, the Grand Slam winner, so it will definitely be challenging. Although she doesn’t have the highest ranking, she has a good form,” pointed out Nosková.

There are two Czech women among the top eight at the Livesport Prague Open. Already yesterday, Marie Bouzková reached the quarterfinals, who will fight against Oksana Selechmetěvová for the semifinals.

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