Noskova, an astonishing Wimbledon fightback - and a kiss to the sky
Linda Noskova produces "one of the all-time greatest efforts on Centre Court" to win Wimbledon - and thanks her late mother, Ivana, for inspiring her.
By BBC News
Linda Noskova won her first Wimbledon title with an astonishing 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 victory over fellow Czech Karolina Muchova in the women’s singles final on Centre Court at Saturday’s all-Czech showdown. The 21-year-old recovered from a second-set meltdown in which she missed five championship points, then held off Muchova’s extraordinary fightback to clinch the deciding set 6-3 .
Noskova became the youngest woman to win Wimbledon since Petra Kvitova in 2011, when Kvitova was also 21 . After the match, the tearful champion dedicated her title to her late mother, Ivana, saying “all the blood, sweat and tears was worth it” and thanking her for inspiring her journey .
During the trophy ceremony, Noskova kissed the sky in a gesture linked to her mother, a moment described as part of one of the all-time greatest efforts on Centre Court . The final took place on Saturday at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, with the Centre Court crowd holding its breath as Noskova stepped up to the baseline with the match in her hands .