Timely breaks lift Noskova into first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon

Two years after her breakthrough run to the Australian Open quarterfinals, Linda Noskova advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal Wednesday, defeating No. 25 seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5 in 1 hour and 50 minutes to reach the last four at Wimbledon.

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Noskova, 21, is the youngest player to reach her first Major semifinal at Wimbledon since fellow Czech Petra Kvitova did so in 2010.

"The feelings are incredible, like never before" Noskova said in her on-court interview. "This is what I'm playing tennis for -- for these matches, for these big stages and big courts. It's truly a special feeling.

"I was a little bit nervous before the match, I'm not going to lie. Usually when it's really, really important for me and I'm putting a little bit of pressure on myself, that's when I play the best. When I'm feeling a little nervous, that means that I care a lot. So I was really enjoying this match."

With the win, Noskova improved to 1-0 against Mertens after their first WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz meeting.

Noskova racks up the chances, converts when it counts

The young Czech generated 11 break points and, while she converted only two, she struck at the right moments. After a pair of aces carried her to a hold for 4-3, she capitalized on her fourth break point to earn a chance to serve for the opening set at 5-3. She closed it out in style, sealing a love hold with a volley winner. Noskova was once again buoyed by her powerful serve. Behind her first serve, she dropped just three points in the opener.

Noskova again controlled much of the second set, but missed chances -- paired with clutch play by Mertens -- kept the scoreboard tight. The Czech let six break points slip away, including three in a dramatic 4-4 game that featured the shot of the match by Mertens. Facing break point, the Belgian produced three masterful gets, the last resulting in a miraculous lob winner into the opposite corner. She followed with an ace two points later to hold for 5-4.

Noskova responded by showing none of the nerves she admitted to feeling. After Mertens pushed the next game to deuce and moved within two points of the set, Noskova calmly held for 5-all. She then emptied the toolbox in the following game, striking a backhand winner that grabbed the line for 0-15 and a forehand winner down the middle to earn double break point.

This time, she didn't let the chance pass. Noskova broke for 6-5 and, nine years younger than her opponent, the No. 9 seed displayed a veteran's poise by slamming the door shut with a love hold to reach the semifinals.

"I thought for the mistakes that I made, I kept it pretty cool," Noskova said. "I could have been angry at myself for some mistakes at crucial moments, but I felt like I (played) the end of both sets really great. That's what won my match."

Noskova at forefront of Wimbledon youth movement

Noskova is now the third player born in 2004 to reach a Grand Slam women's singles semifinal, joining Coco Gauff and Diana Shnaider. Including Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva, she is one of four players born in 2004 or later to make a Major semifinal.

The 21-year-old is also one of three players under 25, alongside Gauff and Marta Kostyuk, to reach this year's Wimbledon semifinals. It's the first time Wimbledon has featured three under-25 semifinalists since 2014, when Kvitova, Eugenie Bouchard and Simona Halep all reached the last four.

Noskova will face Kostyuk in Thursday's semifinal in what is set to be their second career meeting. Kostyuk won their first in straight sets en route to the Madrid title earlier this year.

"She's a really tough one. She doesn't really give up," Noskova said in her post-match press conference. "She's trying to play as fast and as aggressive as possible. We had a match in Madrid, which did not really go well for me. I wasn't feeling too comfy on court. I will definitely try to change some things this time."

If Noskova flips the script, she will reach her eighth career WTA final and her second of 2026. In the process, she would become the first grass-court warmup champion to make the Wimbledon final since Justine Henin finished runner-up in 2006 after winning Eastbourne.