Czech teens Noskova, Havlickova make a splash at WTA Prague Open
Linda Noskova and Lucie Havlickova have won the last two Roland-Garros junior titles
Linda Noskova and Lucie Havlickova at the WTA Prague Open
Image Credits: AI / Reuters / Panoramic and Jean-Francois Badias/AP/SIPA
With the U.S. summer hardcourt swing still to kickstart, things are still relatively low-key on the WTA front with two WTA 250s this week – one in Warsaw and the other in Prague.
But on Tuesday, two Czech teens, who between them have claimed the last two Roland-Garros junior girls titles, created a splash by winning their first round matches in front of their home fans.
Linda Noskova, the 2021 French Open junior girls champion who is already ranked No 112 in the world, advanced to the second round when Russian lucky loser Natalia Vikhlyantseva retired while trailing 6-2, 3-1.
Noskova made her Grand Slam main draw debut earlier this year at the 2022 French Open as a qualifier, making her the youngest Czech to play in the main draw of a Major since her countrywoman Nicole Vaidisova at the 2006 US Open.
Noskova’s reward is a clash against fifth seed and French veteran Alize Cornet, who scored a 6-2, 6-3 win over another Russian qualifier Anastasia Zakharova.
Havlickova joins Noskova in Prague second round
Joining Noskova soon in the second round was another 17-year-old, Lucie Havlickova, who won the junior singles and doubles title at Roland-Garros earlier this year.
Havlickova, ranked No 2 in the juniors and No 787 among the pros, put in an impressive display to Czech qualifier Barbora Palicova 6-2, 7-6 and will get a chance to test herself against top seed and world No 2 Anett Kontaveit.
The Estonian, who reached the final in Hamburg last week, was an easy 6-0, 6-1 winner over Ektaerina Gorgodze.
While the days of teenaged Grand Slam winners and world No 1s may be over, tennis fans will surely be watching these two young Czech talents closely as they make their way up the pro ranks in the coming months.
People in this post
More tennis news
October 13, 1985: The day Czechoslovakia won the Fed Cup for the third consecutive time
October 12, 1998: The day Lindsay Davenport became world No 1 for the first time
“That’s already a small death”: beaten in Shanghai, Mannarino describes what it costs to keep up at 38
Wildcard Zheng stuns Andreeva to win first WTA 1000 crown on home soil in Beijing
Gea stuns Shelton for first Top 10 win and reaches Shanghai last 16 on Masters 1000 debut
