The tennis player Nosková is at the tournament in Prague in six, her opponent scratched
Update: 29/07/2022 14:18
Issued by: 29/07/2022, 14:18
Prague – Last year’s winner of the junior Roland Garros, Linda Nosková, continues the campaign of her life at the Livesport Prague Open. The 17-year-old tennis player eliminated the Japanese player Nao Hibinová in today’s quarterfinals on the concrete courts in Stromovka. Opponent for the score 6:3, 4:2 for Nosková duel due to injury of the back distance. The talented Czech will play among the top four players at the WTA tournament for the first time in her career.
On the other hand, Anett Kontaveitová from Estonia ended up seeded number one at the Prague tournament. The world number two lost clearly to Russia’s Anastasia Potapova twice 1:6. Tournament number seven Potapova will next challenge Poland’s Magdalena Linette or China’s Wang Chiang.
Coach Tomáš Krupa’s protégé Nosková had an excellent start to the match against Barbora Krejčíková, who defeated Hibinová in the second round, and led 4:0 after two breaks. She also lost her serve twice, starting at 4-3, but then the world number 112 won the remaining games to take the first set.
Hibinová, who is ranked 251st in the world, requested a medical break in the second set at 2:1 and had her back massaged for a long time. However, she continued to have difficulties with her serve, losing three games in a row and withdrawing from the match.
Nosková advanced in Prague after a scratch for the second time, Russia’s Natalia Vichlancevová did not finish against her in the opening round. Thanks to her first participation in the semifinals, the young Czech made her first move into the top 100 of the WTA rankings.
In the afternoon, Nosková will face her doubles quarterfinal with Lucía Havlíčková. They will challenge the Russian couple Angelina Gabuyeva, Anastasia Zakharova.
Twenty-one-year-old Potapova defeated Kontaveitova for the first time in her career and after two previous defeats. She also avenged her week-old defeat out of six in Hamburg. The native of Saratov, Russia, has not yet lost a set in Prague.
Lucie Havlíčková’s defeater from the 2nd round, Kontaveitová lost her serve five times in the match, on the contrary, she did not develop a single break point opportunity. Her defeat was always decided by the beginning of the sets, she played 0:4 in both. Potapova advanced after 51 minutes of play.
“My opponent played great. It wasn’t me mentally or physically today. I was tired. I played last week too and I think it got to me. I definitely didn’t play my best tennis today. All the credit goes to my opponent. I can’t even say that would surprise me with something in the match. If I was in my shoes, the whole thing would look different,” Kontaveitová told reporters.
World No. 2 Kontaveitova finished her game in Prague, not enough for Potapova
Estonian tennis player and world number two Anett Kontaveit will not win the title at the Livesport Prague Open tournament. The seeded number 1 lost in the quarter-finals to Anastasia Potapova of Russia clearly twice 1:6. Tournament number seven Potapova will face Poland’s Magdalena Linette or China’s Wang Chiang in the next stage.
The 21-year-old native of Saratov defeated Kontaveitova for the first time in her career and after two previous defeats. She also avenged her week-old defeat out of six in Hamburg. Potapova has not yet lost a set in Prague.
Lucie Havlíčková’s defeater from the 2nd round, Kontaveitová lost her serve five times in the match, on the contrary, she did not develop a single break point opportunity. Her defeat was always decided by the beginning of the sets, in both cases she lost 0:4. Potapova advanced after 51 minutes of play.
Two Czech tennis players will also participate in the event today. Seventeen-year-old Linda Nosková, who defeated fifth seed Alizé Cornet of France on Thursday, will face Nao Hibin of Japan, who defeated Barbora Krejčíková, in the fight for the first semifinal at the WTA tournament. Tournament eight and quarter-finalist of this year’s Wimbledon, Maria Bouzková, awaits a duel with Russian Oksana Selechmeteva.
Women’s tennis tournament Livesport Prague Open
(hard surface, $251,750 subsidy):
Singles – Quarter Finals:
Potapova (7-Rus.) – Kontaveitova (1-Est.) 6:1, 6:1.