The Base Line: Sinner goes back-to-back at Wimbledon as Noskova wins all-Czech epic

[p][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tcFgE3vqKipZUfqEXzIWS?si=CsqzI0FxTaWSVO4cyqwCMQ" target="_blank"][b]Click here to listen to this article on Spotify[/b][/a][/p][h2]Title winners[/h2][p]Top seed [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Jannik Sinner[/a][/b] successfully defended his Wimbledon crown, with the all-conquering Italian proving too strong for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Alexander Zverev[/a] in Sunday's showpiece, winning [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=n5DWLXD5"]6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4[/a].[/p][p]The 24-year-old was forced to dig deep in an incredibly high-quality contest, holding off a confident and courageous Zverev, who continues to look liberated after his long-awaited Grand Slam triumph at the French Open last month.[/p][p][b]Sinner gradually took control of the match after a gripping opening two sets, firing down 58 winners to just 25 unforced errors to secure his fifth major trophy and first this year.[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="9b651d4a-cbd9-4093-a4db-4c58e796e4e4" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="57968722-0173-4923-80c0-8fcc802fa28d" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]The Italian was once again imperious behind his serve, limiting Zverev to only one break point across the four sets (which he saved as the German slipped trying to chase down a drop shot).[/p][p]That proved to be a decisive moment at the back end of the third set, with Sinner moving up through the gears to clinch a 10th successive head-to-head victory over Zverev.[/p][p]The world number one collapsed to the ground after sealing victory with a ferocious forehand, as he became the 10th man to retain the Wimbledon men's trophy since the Open era began in 1968.[/p][p][b]"It has been an amazing final once again and it always takes two players, and Sascha and I tried to give everything we had,"[/b] said Sinner post-match.[/p][p][b]"I am very happy about the win, but also the level that we both played.”[/b][/p][embed guid="503a8027-1add-47d3-a556-263e25ea08ba" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gIon03nzI0&t=2s" social-type="youtube" /][p]On the women's side of the tournament, Czech youngster [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noskova-linda/zHMiAkw6/"]Linda Noskova[/a][/b] held off a spirited fightback from compatriot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muchova-karolina/Or4Qa1ye/"]Karolina Muchova[/a] to prevail [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/muchova-k-Or4Qa1ye/noskova-l-zHMiAkw6/?mid=pGyvP4BC"]6-2, 5-7, 6-3[/a] in an extraordinary Wimbledon final.[/p][p]The 21-year-old looked to be cruising to the finishing line when she led 6-2, 5-2 after just 65 minutes on Centre Court, but she crumbled under pressure as Muchova mounted a valiant comeback to save five championship points and force a decider.[/p][p][b]Undeterred by that second-set collapse, Noskova showed remarkable composure to mentally regroup and eventually clinch a maiden Grand Slam title, underlining her status as one of the WTA's brightest talents.[/b][/p][p]The ninth seed hit 44 winners during the three-set contest, while converting 74% of points behind her first serve, as she largely outclassed Muchova with her pace and depth from the baseline.[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="a7fe1ea4-e45b-4ee9-9068-d420d49ce874" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="5dc2285c-a980-49f8-ad24-64e339ed1fa6" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Noskova is the youngest player to lift the iconic Venus Rosewater Dish since fellow Czech [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kvitova-petra/0vypNf1t/"]Petra Kvitova[/a] in 2011, while she also becomes the third player to win the women's singles title at Wimbledon having saved a match point (against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cirstea-sorana/fBPsm3Iq/"]Sorana Cirstea[/a] in the third round).[/p][p][b]"It is definitely something that I'm going to remember forever, but it will definitely take me a few days to realise it,"[/b] Noskova said to the press after the final.[/p][p][b]"On the last match point, I didn't even realise that I had a match point. I kept going. That's what really won it for me, that I didn't exactly put it into my head."[/b][/p][p]As for Muchova, the 29-year-old has now lost both her major finals, following the 2023 French Open, but for a player with such unique talent and guile, there will surely be more opportunities on the horizon (so long as she remains free from injury).[/p][embed guid="22665fe2-9159-4039-a7e7-d1cd85b7bdce" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfE9M6__724" social-type="youtube" /][infobox id="e4d8200d-597f-48d7-83c2-d394f1217426" /][h2]Biggest strugglers[/h2][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swiatek-iga/jNyZsXZe/"]Iga Swiatek[/a][/b]’s title defence came to an abrupt end in the third round, as the Pole fell to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/eala-a-ppu9X7PH/swiatek-i-jNyZsXZe/?mid=0EU7qszi"]7-6(9), 6-2[/a] defeat against rising star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Alexandra Eala[/a] in an error-strewn display on Centre Court.[/p][p]After seeing off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/townsend-taylor/Y9jUuHka/"]Taylor Townsend[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pliskova-karolina/xGn9KNfO/"]Karolina Pliskova[/a] in the opening two rounds, Swiatek failed to raise her level against Eala, hitting 44 unforced errors, while converting just 57% of points behind her first delivery.[/p][p][b]The six-time Grand Slam champion will be keen to reset ahead of the hard-court swing, as her topsy-turvy form shows no signs of slowing down.[/b][/p][p]Elsewhere in the women’s draw, there were first-round exits for eighth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/monfils-elina/jyngIesG/"]Elina Svitolina[/a], French Open runner-up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chwalinska-maja/OIxOD54s/"]Maja Chwalinska[/a] and 2024 semi-finalist [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vekic-donna/AsWv5414/"]Donna Vekic[/a].[/p][image alt="Swiatek (left) shakes hands with Eala" id="b7de1716-ca45-48a9-b0ae-adc28c1218db" credit-line="REUTERS / Toby Melville" guid="d0c95a30-4267-4c65-a277-b3cfe738d39d" original-width="2773" original-height="1922" /][p]Men’s fourth seed [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]Ben Shelton[/a][/b] suffered an equally disappointing tournament, with the American losing a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/shelton-b-QNuG0Gzb/virtanen-o-hnYnFaTm/?mid=GSV1QxlD"]five-set thriller[/a] to Finland’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/virtanen-otto/hnYnFaTm/"]Otto Virtanen[/a] in the opening round.[/p][p]Having claimed a maiden grass-court title at the Stuttgart Open in the run-up to Wimbledon, the 23-year-old was tipped for another deep run at the All England Club, where he reached the quarter-finals last year.[/p][p][b]However, Shelton flattered to deceive against qualifier Virtanen, converting just one of 12 break-point opportunities to surrender a two-sets-to-one lead in alarming fashion.[/b][/p][p]There were plenty of other strugglers on the men’s side of the draw, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruud-casper/zN9UpRqp/"]Casper Ruud[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rublev-andrey/AeAn4gP0/"]Andrey Rublev[/a] and Queen’s champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cerundolo-francisco/lWQ3G6gB/"]Francisco Cerundolo[/a] all falling in the first round.[/p][embed guid="c218655c-067e-4c3c-aa41-3850b06f625e" url="https://x.com/atptour/status/2071984792627740799" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Standout moments[/h2][p]Much of the pre-tournament hype was centred on the highly anticipated comeback of 23-time major champion [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-serena/ttsu68nH/"]Serena Williams[/a][/b], who returned to singles action nearly four years after her retirement.[/p][p][b]The legendary American, who received a wildcard from the All England Club, was drawn against Australia’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/joint-maya/AqLslEIk/"]Maya Joint[/a] in the opening round, a player desperately out of form with 13 defeats from her last 14 matches on Tour.[/b][/p][p]It was a favourable draw for Serena on paper, albeit still an incredibly difficult task, with Joint no stranger to the surface, having won the Eastbourne title just 12 months ago.[/p][embed guid="3ac27335-96a0-47f7-8b47-b56ddc3775e7" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntEqaCIhqCo" social-type="youtube" /][p]Joint settled impressively on Centre Court, surging into a 6-3, 3-1 lead, but Serena battled back in true champion’s fashion, saving a match point in the second-set tiebreak to force a decider.[/p][p]While Joint rallied to ultimately prevail [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/joint-m-AqLslEIk/williams-s-ttsu68nH/?mid=00707pEN"]6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3[/a], it was an admirable display from the seven-time former champion, who certainly gave a good account of herself after several years away from the court.[/p][p][b]Unfortunately, a knee injury meant Serena had to pull out of the women’s doubles alongside sister Venus, with the 44-year-old now focused on making a full recovery ahead of the North American hard-court swing and a potential US Open return.[/b][/p][image alt="Serena waves to the crowd after her first-round loss" id="95808d0b-93ab-4ea8-86f2-6ee0ae5bae32" credit-line="REUTERS / Andrew Couldridge" guid="7e6cabf0-6867-420d-89b9-7f5839feaa8b" original-width="3307" original-height="2248" /][p]Another remarkable story that dominated the headlines was the fairytale run of British wildcard [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fery-arthur/SKxbA6KA/"]Arthur Fery[/a][/b], who defied all expectations to reach the semi-finals of the men’s tournament.[/p][p]Ranked 114th in the world just a fortnight ago, the 24-year-old enjoyed an unforgettable Wimbledon, as his never-say-die attitude and incredible self-belief captured the hearts of the British public.[/p][p][b]Fery battled from a set down in each of his opening three matches, before ousting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dimitrov-grigor/SQgEEKh4/"]Grigor Dimitrov[/a] in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/dimitrov-g-SQgEEKh4/fery-a-SKxbA6KA/?mid=jRoyCzRH"]five-set epic[/a] and dismantling ninth seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cobolli-flavio/zDtaCcPe/"]Flavio Cobolli[/a] in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/cobolli-f-zDtaCcPe/fery-a-SKxbA6KA/?mid=xEpwTMc2"]quarter-finals[/a].[/b][/p][embed guid="e9a9f923-b4c0-473e-9df1-80bfc86ac6b7" url="https://x.com/the_LTA/status/2076554719418331199" social-type="twitter" /][p]While his incredible run was ultimately ended by French Open champion Zverev, Fery made history by becoming the lowest-ranked men’s singles semi-finalist at SW19 since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ivanisevic-goran/WhwlIJ6o/"]Goran Ivanisevic[/a] won the title in 2001.[/p][p]Furthermore, as a result of his run to the last four, the French-born Briton is now up to 36th in the updated rankings and assured of direct entry into the biggest events for the foreseeable future.[/p][h2]Best points[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/auger-aliassime-felix/CzXh4LAb/"]Felix Auger-Aliassime[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/davidovich-fokina-alejandro/0zQXLfz4/"]Alejandro Davidovich Fokina[/a] produced a rally for the ages in their thrilling [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/auger-aliassime-f-CzXh4LAb/davidovich-fokina-a-0zQXLfz4/?mid=Y1gTcV03"]fourth-round clash[/a], with the Spaniard prevailing after a spectacular diving volley.[/p][embed guid="a9172d09-692d-41ad-8b3b-a77de3453ead" url="https://x.com/Wimbledon/status/2073850139588878589" social-type="twitter" /][p]Muchova and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a] contested a superb third-set tiebreak in their [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/muchova-k-Or4Qa1ye/?mid=EmRnuCHs"]semi-final[/a], as the Czech showed her quality at the net with a magnificent volley under pressure.[/p][embed guid="fd8e3679-8010-4692-8510-28eb96fa713d" url="https://x.com/Wimbledon/status/2075247361782137308/video/1?s=46" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Upcoming events[/h2][p]The grass-court season is over, but the action never stops in the world of tennis, with five events to keep an eye out for over the next seven days.[/p][p]On the ATP Tour, there are 250 tournaments in Umag, Bastad and Gstaad, with Cobolli, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bublik-alexander/t0WN9vR6/"]Alexander Bublik[/a] and Rublev among the headline names taking to the court.[/p][p]There are also WTA 250 events taking place in Athens and Iasi, where [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tauson-clara/2PPTHPya/"]Clara Tauson[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cristian-jaqueline/vo9FVe2A/"]Jaqueline Cristian[/a] are the top seeds, respectively.[/p][p][b]Check out the full draws in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/atp-singles/umag/"]Umag[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/atp-singles/bastad/"]Bastad[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/atp-singles/gstaad/"]Gstaad[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/wta-singles/athens/"]Athens[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/tennis/wta-singles/iasi/"]Iasi[/a] via the links.[/b][/p][infobox id="fa3af8d3-b7b1-4d57-95f0-50d8796bc2f0" /]