Prague Open: Lucky loser Hibino beats Noskova to win third career singles title

Japanese lucky loser Nao Hibino defeated No 4 seed Linda Noskova 6-4, 6-1 to win the rain-delayed Prague Open title at TK Sparta Praha on Monday.

Hibino completed her semi-final win earlier in the day as rain played havoc with the weekend schedule. She will be back later in the day for the doubles final where she is partnering Oksana Kalashnikova.

Noskova started the final on sa strong note, going up 3-0 in the first set. From there, it was all Hibino as she went on to win 12 of the next 14 games to win the final in one hour and 25 minutes.

Šampionkou Livesport Prague Open 2023 se stává 🇯🇵 Nao Hibino.🏆

🇬🇧 Livesport Prague Open 2023 champion is Nao Hibino.🏆 pic.twitter.com/tTxKLcUzNA

— Livesport Prague Open (@livesportprague) August 7, 2023

This is the 28-year-old Japanese player’s third career singles title after winning in Tashkent in 2015 and Hiroshima in 2019. Hibino also becomes the fifth lucky loser to win a WTA singles title.

Nao Hibino now the 5th LL to win a WTA event, joining:
Kay McDaniel (Atlanta 1980)
Olga Danilovic (Moscow 2018)
Coco Gauff (Linz 2019)
Maria Timofeeva (Budapest 2023) https://t.co/KL6OsB1eNC

— Diego Barbiani (@Diego_Barbiani) August 7, 2023

Hibino, ranked No 136, beat Italian Sara Errani (7-5, 3-6, 6-4), Slovak qualifier Viktoria Hruncakova (6-1, 7-5), wildcard Tereza Martincova (6-1, 6-2) and Romanian Jaqueline Cristian (6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-3) ahead of her win in the final.

Earlier in the tournament, 18-year-old Noskova, ranked No 71, defeated American qualifier Elvina Kalieva (6-1, 6-2), Indian lucky loser Ankita Raina (1-6, 7-5, 6-1), Slovak Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (6-0, 6-2) and German qualifier Tamara Korpatsch (6-1, 6-1).

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