Linda Noskova expressed her exhilaration after clinching her first Grand Slam title with a thrilling 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 victory over fellow Czech Karolina Muchova at Wimbledon. The sight of the coveted trophy by Centre Court served as a crucial motivator for Noskova during this pivotal moment.
The 21-year-old showcased her skill by leading 6-2, 5-2, but faced a challenge as she missed five match points. However, a timely bathroom break allowed her to reset, ultimately making her the sixth Czech woman to win the title in the Open era.
“What really helped me, the first step I took off court, the trophies were there,” Noskova remarked. “I was like, I’m not going to take the small one, I’m taking the big one. I have been so close. This will probably be the heartbreak of my life. I just kind of started to focus on myself all over again, which was the key point.”
She highlighted the significance of the first game in the final set, where she saved three break points, as a pivotal moment that changed the match’s momentum.
“Let’s say I’m brave enough to say that the third set would not have been the same if maybe I would have lost the first game,” she explained. “I lost five games in a row in the second one, so it was very, very important to start off in a good way in the third one.”
While Noskova acknowledged that she would have preferred to conclude the match in two sets, she took pride in her determination and perseverance throughout the contest.
“I feel like if I would have saved the spectators, my team or myself the stress and all the heart-stopping moments, I would say that that would be better. Just winning it this way, really having to fight for it, having all these ups and downs, it matters a lot, but I do have to learn a lot from this match, definitely.”
On the other hand, Muchova reflected on her performance, admitting it was “one of my worst matches of the tournament” and shared that the effort to level the match left her nearly exhausted.
“She played really fast and I was kind of looking for myself,” Muchova stated. “It took a lot of power and strength out of me, I would say, to get back in that second set. I gave it my all. The 29-year-old tried to emphasise the positives. “It will definitely take me a few days,”
Despite the disappointment, the 29-year-old attempted to focus on the positives, recognizing her achievement in reaching the final.
“But I was in the finals. It’s still a pretty great achievement. It’s still something I would take before the tournament. “I think my game is good. I’m improving. I feel good on the court. Yeah, it’s a dream of mine, it’s a goal of mine to lift that grand slam trophy. This is a setback, but as well a motivation.” she noted. “But I was in the finals. It’s still a pretty great achievement. It’s still something I would take before the tournament.”
Muchova expressed her confidence in her game moving forward, emphasizing her goal of lifting a Grand Slam trophy. “This is a setback, but as well a motivation,” she concluded.
