Linda Noskova defeated Elise Mertens, 6-3, 7-5, to reach her first Wimbledon semi-final.
The 21-year-old delivered another impressive performance as she advanced to her maiden Grand Slam semi-final.
In doing so, she became the youngest first-time Grand Slam semi-finalist at Wimbledon since her countrywoman, Petra Kvitova, broke through at the 2010 Championships.
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During her post-match press conference, Noskova was asked about that statistic and whether she had gotten to know the two-time Wimbledon champion.
Linda Noskova says Petra Kvitova helped her get into tennis as she follows in her footsteps at Wimbledon
“Yeah, we had two matches against each other, actually,” said Noskova.
Linda Noskova and Petra Kvitova’s head-to-head record (1-1)
- 2023 Cincinnati R32 – Linda Noskova defeated Petra Kvitova, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
- 2023 Miami R64 – Petra Kvitova defeated Linda Noskova, 6-3, 6-0
“Both of those, I was just kind of stunned that I was on the same court with “the” Petra Kvitova.
“As a kid, I was always looking up to her. She was kind of, like, when I didn’t really know much about tennis, she was the face of Czech tennis.
“When she won two Wimbledon titles, yeah, I was definitely the one who noticed that. Maybe she helped me to get into tennis a little bit. But for me, she’s such a person to look up to.”
Kvitova broke through at Wimbledon in 2010, reaching the semi-finals where she lost to the legendary Serena Williams.
That defeat didn’t do much to discourage her, though, as she returned a year later to take the title.
Two quarter-final appearances followed in 2012 and 2013, before Kvitova doubled her Wimbledon tally in 2014.
Kvitova isn’t the only Czech player to have enjoyed success at the All England Club, as in the last five years, Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova have both lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish.
Noskova continued, sharing her thoughts on Czech excellence on the grass.
“The players before us have always been great. I mean, the Czech female tennis players have always been incredible. If you look at 10 years back, 20, 30, there’s always just been someone,” she said.
“We kind of still keep on going and keep on having great juniors and youngsters coming up. It’s great to see that the country is not stopping tennis.
“But I feel like for me it has always been the fact that we, as such a small country, can definitely do big things in the world if we look up to the people that did it.”
Whether Noskova can become the next Czech Wimbledon champion remains to be seen.
Annabel Croft reacts as Linda Noskova reaches her first Wimbledon semi-final
During BBC Radio 5 Live’s post-match coverage, former British number one Annabel Croft gave her honest opinion on Noskova’s latest win.
“This is a pretty big moment for her. All of the years that she’s been out there playing tennis, even as a junior, breaking through into the pros. She’s had a very successful career; she’s only young, but to make a Wimbledon semi-final is a massive step up,” she said.
“I think she handled the situation extremely well.
Linda Noskova vs Elise Mertens – Match stats
| Stats | Linda Noskova | Elise Mertens |
| Aces | 7 | 4 |
| Double faults | 3 | 4 |
| 1st Serve % | 70% | 56% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 79% | 71% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 71% | 44% |
| Break points | 2/11 | 0/1 |
“Because things were getting a little bit edgy and tight in that second set. She had some ups and downs, disappointment in not being able to break that first time to get ahead…
“To come back with strength and stability says she has a very calm mindset in a crisis.
“A terrific win.”
Noskova is now just two wins away from claiming the Wimbledon title.
She will return to take on Marta Kostyuk in the semis on Thursday, July 9.
