Noskova holds off extraordinary Muchova fightback to win Wimbledon

Noskova holds off extraordinary Muchova fightback to win WimbledonImage source, ReutersImage caption, Linda Noskova was playing in her first Grand Slam finalByJonathan JurejkoBBC Sport tennis news reporter at WimbledonPublished20 minutes agoCzech youngster Linda Noskova recovered from missing five championship points to beat her friend Karolina Muchova and win an extraordinary and dramatic Wimbledon final.Noskova looked on course for a routine victory when she led 6-2 5-2 - but crumbled with the finishing line in sight as 10th seed Muchova won five games in a row to force a decider.However, the 21-year-old showed remarkable resilience to reset and finally clinch a 6-2 5-7 6-3 victory.Noskova's second-set collapse was excruciating to watch for the 15,000-strong crowd on Centre Court, but the way in which she mentally reset in the decider was admirable.Serving for the title again an hour after her first attempt, Noskova hit an ace to set up a sixth championship point and converted it with a service winner.Noskova immediately fell to the court as her emotions poured out, with 29-year-old Muchova walking around the net to congratulate her Paris 2024 Olympics doubles partner.Noskova hid under her towel towards the end of the second set and did the same again in the moments after securing a testing victory.The ninth seed is the third Czech champion in the past four years at the All England Club, after victories for compatriots Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova in 2023 and 2024 respectively.Fittingly, Noskova's crowning glory watched by Czech-born Martina Navratilova - a nine-time singles champion - and one of her idols Petra Kvitova, who won in 2011 and 2014. As well as lifting the iconic Venus Rosewater Dish, Noskova will receive £2m in prize money and move up to a new career-high ranking of seventh in the world.Related topicsTennisJonathan JurejkoMore on this storyLive scores, results and order of playGet tennis news sent straight to your phonePublish...