{"id":683079,"date":"2026-07-09T21:46:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T21:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/683079\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T21:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T21:46:09","slug":"linda-noskova-sees-off-marta-kostyuk-in-style-to-set-up-all-czech-wimbledon-final-wimbledon-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/683079\/","title":{"rendered":"Linda Noskova sees off Marta Kostyuk in style to set up all-Czech Wimbledon final | Wimbledon 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Linda Noskova had arrived at Wimbledon<\/a> as one of the most dangerous young talents yet to make a grand slam breakthrough but the Czech completed that journey on Thursday, producing a clinical display to defeat Ukraine\u2019s Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-4 and reach the first major final of her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how I feel,\u201d said Noskova. \u201cIt was a great match. I stayed calm the whole time, which was the main goal. But I always realise any success or a good tournament after it\u2019s done. Right now, I am focusing on the final.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 21-year-old did not waver under the pressure of the occasion, delivering a mature performance to end Kostyuk\u2019s outstanding run and set up an all-Czech Wimbledon final for the first time against Karolina Muchova \u2013 where a first-time women\u2019s champion will be crowned for the ninth consecutive time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tradition at this point,\u201d said Noskova on the love affair between Czech female players and Wimbledon. \u201cWe are all brought up in the same way in Czechia, in our game styles, in our tennis, but we are very different. We are very creative.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrass allows us to use any side of tennis: if it\u2019s serve and volley back in the old days, if it\u2019s slices and volleys in this new era.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noskova spent almost the entire afternoon untouchable on serve. She faced just one break point \u2013 the only blemish on an otherwise immaculate serving performance \u2013 at 3-1 in the second set, while capitalising on Kostyuk\u2019s vulnerabilities whenever the finish line came into view, breaking three times, including when the Ukrainian served to stay alive in both sets.<\/p>\n

Kostyuk arrived in inspired form after reaching the French Open semi-finals<\/a> and had won 21 of her previous 22 matches, while Noskova claimed the Berlin Open title before transferring that momentum on to Wimbledon\u2019s lawns.<\/p>\n

There was little to separate the pair early on as both settled quickly behind serve.<\/p>\n

Marta Kostyuk stretches for a shot but Linda Noskova had the answers on Centre Court. Photograph: Neil Hall\/EPA<\/p>\n

Noskova opened confidently with a comfortable hold before Kostyuk responded with an ace and aggressive baseline hitting to level. The rallies were clean, the serving consistently strong and opportunities scarce as both players refused to offer an opening \u2013 eight games in, the two had won 29 points each.<\/p>\n

The match turned when, serving to stay in the opening set at 4-5, Kostyuk suddenly tightened.<\/p>\n

Noskova sensed the opportunity, forcing three set points as the Ukrainian struggled to find her rhythm. Kostyuk saved the first but produced a costly double fault to hand the Czech the opener.<\/p>\n

From there, Noskova\u2019s serve became untouchable, delivered with the same unhurried rhythm between every point that has become a hallmark of her game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been working on my serve for a couple of years now,\u201d she said. \u201cIt has been a great help for me lately. On grass or hard courts, your serve is the most powerful tool. I try to focus on myself when I have my service game. Whatever happens on the return games, happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kostyuk attempted to ignite herself and the Centre Court crowd, punctuating winning points with loud celebrations as she searched for a way back into the contest.<\/p>\n

But Noskova remained unmoved with an early break to love in the second set. Dictating from the baseline with effortless power, she repeatedly forced her opponent on to the defensive, while her first serve continued to produce cheap points.<\/p>\n

Linda Noskova produced an assured display to reach her first major final. Photograph: Neil Hall\/EPA<\/p>\n

Having already won more grass-court matches than any woman on tour since the start of last season, Noskova looked completely at home on the surface.<\/p>\n

Kostyuk finally earned her first break point of the afternoon midway through the second set and seized it brilliantly with a fierce forehand winner before holding to love, lifted by a rally \u2013 one of very few during the match.<\/p>\n

Rather than allowing frustration to creep in, Noskova steadied herself with another assured hold, her forehand repeatedly dragging Kostyuk across the baseline before finishing points with ruthless efficiency at 5-4. Kostyuk again faltered under pressure. Two loose backhands handed Noskova two match points.<\/p>\n

Although the Ukrainian saved the first with a stunning forehand winner, on the second another forehand drifted beyond the baseline.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer serve quality was 9.5,\u201d said Kostyuk. \u201cDoesn\u2019t get better than this. I know I\u2019m a good returner. Not much I could do today. I broke her once, but generally I didn\u2019t even come close to break points.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Linda Noskova had arrived at Wimbledon as one of the most dangerous young talents yet to make a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":683080,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[101,118,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-683079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-sports","tag-tennis","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=683079"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683079\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/683080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=683079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=683079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=683079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}