New York, Sep 3 (IANS) Wimbledon champion and No. 6 seed Linda Noskova extended her Grand Slam winning streak by reaching the third round of the US Open with a straight-sets win over Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Noskova’s win means she will at least match her best result at Flushing Meadows by reaching Round 3. Last year, she was beaten in that round by fellow countrywoman Karolina Muchova.
Both players started the match strongly on serve, but Noskova kept pressing Tararudee until she could no longer withstand the barrage from the Czech’s baseline. Finally, Noskova broke Tararudee in the seventh game, and that was all she needed to claim the opening set. Aggressive positioning was key, as Noskova won 12 of 15 net points.
After the early tension in the first set, Noskova took full control, playing relaxed and dictating play from the start of the second set. After the No. 6 seed jumped to a 3-0 lead, the rest of the match seemed a formality until the chair umpire called, “Game, set and match, Noskova,” US Open reports.
This was Noskova’s 11th Grand Slam match win in 2026, her most in a calendar year. Her previous best was six Grand Slam main-draw match wins in 2024. In addition to her Wimbledon title, she reached the third round at the Australian Open and lost in the first round at Roland Garros.
For Tararudee, who was making her US Open main-draw debut, the loss was her second defeat in as many matches against top-10 opponents. She is enjoying the best season of her career on tour, highlighted by reaching the second round at both the US Open and Wimbledon and by winning two WTA 125 titles.
Up next for Noskova is a third-round clash with No. 29-seeded American Ann Li, who needed 2 hours and 44 minutes to beat Donna Vekic 5-7, 7-6, 6-4.
Next up for the Wimbledon champion is No. 29 seed Ann Li. Noskova will hope to repeat history after beating the American in a tightly contested three-set win in Dubai earlier this year.
–IANS
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