By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, July 30, 2022
In an all-Czech clash, Marie Bouzkova beat 17-year-old Linda Noskova 7-6(4), 6-3 to land a spot in her fourth career final in her hometown tournament.
Photo credit: Daniils Kulakovs/WTA/Livesport Prague Open Facebook
There's no place like home.
Marie Bouzkova is reconfiguring her hometown tournament into local launching pad.
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In an all-Czech clash, Prague native Bouzkova flew through the final five games defeating 17-year-old Linda Noskova 7-6(4), 6-3 to land a spot in her fourth career final.
The 66th-ranked Bouzkova will play for her first WTA title in tomorrow's final. Bouzkova will face Anastasia Potapova in the Prague title match.
The seventh-seeded Potapova roared through seven straight games stopping world No. 141 Wang Qiang 6-3, 6-0 in today's second semifinal. The 21-year-old Potapova pounded world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit 6-1, 6-1 in a 49-minute quarterfinal thrashing and backed it up with a powerful performance today.
Guadalajara finalist Bouzkova is bidding to become the fifth Czech woman to raise the Prague title trophy following compatriots Barbora Krejcikova (2021), Petra Kvitova (2018), Lucie Safarova (2016) and Karolina Pliskova (2015).
It's been a Bouzkova breakout season as she lost to 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the Guadalajara final last February, knocked off Caroline Garcia en route to her first Wimbledon quarterfinal earlier this month and raised her record to 22-10 today—the most victories she's scored in a single season.
Bouzkova burst out to a 5-3 lead, but the teenager broke back to level after 10 games and won eight of 10 points to go up 6-5.
At 3-all in the tiebreaker, Bouzkova drew an errant forehand and a netted backhand edging ahead 5-3. Noskova was in charge of the point but sprayed a backhand trying to change direction down the line to give Bouzkova two set points.
A focused Bouzkova slid an ace out wide to take a one-set lead after 61 minutes of play.
Bouzkova fended off a pair of break points holding for 2-3 in the second set. Bouzkova won 14 of 16 points transforming a 1-3 deficit into a 4-3 lead. She never looked back to book a spot in her fourth final.
In their lone prior meeting in the Miami Open qualifying last March, Bouzkova battled by Potapova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.