Berlin [Germany], June 22 (ANI): Linda Noskova claimed the 2026 Berlin Open title on Sunday after defeating Jessica Pegula 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in a hard-fought final, securing the first grass-court title of her career.
The triumph marks the second WTA singles title of Noskova's career and improves her record in WTA Tour finals to 2-5, according to the WTA website. The victory will also propel the Czech star into the Top 10 of the WTA rankings for the first time, with Noskova set to surpass Karolina Muchova and become the new Czech No. 1.
Noskova had a strong record when winning the first set, going 16-1 in such matches since her loss to Mirra Andreeva in Brisbane in January. She improved that to 17-1 after taking the opening set against Jessica Pegula in the final.
Noskova started brightly, winning the first three games with powerful serving and aggressive shot-making. She broke for 2-0 after excellent court coverage and a volley winner, then held a long service game to move 3-0 up. Pegula fought back to level at 3-3, but Noskova held firm in a tight game to break again and take the set.
In the second set, Pegula raised her level and surged from 3-3 to lead 5-3, eventually winning the set to force a decider.
Noskova responded strongly in the third set, breaking early to lead 2-0 and quickly moving 3-0 ahead. Although Pegula pushed back and even saved a championship point late on, Noskova stayed steady. She finished the match with a forehand winner after Pegula's final shot went long, sealing the title in style.
With her win, Linda Noskova became the second Czech woman to win a title on Sunday, after Marie Bouzkova defeated Emma Navarro in a three-hour final to lift the Nottingham Open.
It marked the fourth time two Czech women won WTA singles titles on the same day. The previous instances, according to the WTA website, were:
October 1, 2016: Petra Kvitova (Wuhan) and Karolina Pliskova (Tashkent)
January 7, 2017: Katerina Siniakova (Shenzhen) and Pliskova (Brisbane)
September 18, 2022: Linda Fruhvirtova (Chennai) and Siniakova (Portoroz). (ANI)
