Bencic defeats Noskovรก in โTokyo Final Despite Fierce Resistance
TOKYO – Belinda Bencic โclaimed victory over Linda Noskovรก inโฃ theโข Tokyo final, winning in a hard-fought โmatch after taking the first set. This marks theโค first career meeting between the โคtwo players, with the Olympic gold medalistโ from Tokyo 2021 proving too โstrong despite aโ determined effort fromโข the risingโ Czech star.
the match began with โฃNoskovรก pressing on the return, earningโค three break points in the opening game โbut failing to convert. Both โคplayers then โคheld โserve, maintaining parity early in theโข set. Though, Bencicโฃ secured a break โin the โsixth โขgame and consolidated it,โ ultimately closingโ out the firstโ set 6-3 after โ32 minutes, convertingโข her second set point.
The secondโฃ set saw Bencic begin โwith threeโค consecutive aces. Noskovรก battled to hold her serve,takingโ risksโข that occasionallyโค resulted in doubleโ faults,but she remained โcompetitive in โtheโ rallies. She created โขfive break point opportunities in โthe fifth game but was unable to break Bencic’s serve.
Bencic reachedโ the finalโ after a challenging semifinal win against sofia Kenin, โข7-6, 3-6, 6-2.noskovรก, simultaneously occurring, advancedโค to the title match โwithout aโ contest โas โคJelena Rybakina withdrew due to back pain. This was theโ second timeโ Noskovรกโข benefited from โanโ opponent’s withdrawal duringโ theโค tournament, โas Anna Kalinskรก retired due to โขinjury inโค the quarterfinals โwhile Noskovรกโ ledโค 6-0, 1-0.
This was Noskovรก’s third final appearance of the year, following losses โขto Maria Bouzkovรกโ in Prague and Amanda โAnisimovaโค in Beijing. She previously secured her โคsole โฃWTA title inโค Monterrey, Mexico, last year.
Bencic’sโ pathโข to the final also included a dramaticโค quarterfinal victory over Karolรญna Muchovรก, where she saved a match point and prevailed 3-6,โ 7-5, 7-5.Noskovรก will finish the โseason as the Czech Republic’s No. 1โข player.
