Japan’s Nao Hibino capped off a remarkable week by upsetting No. 4 seed Linda Noskova to win the Livesport Prague Open on Monday.
Hibino, who entered the tournament as a lucky loser, defeated Noskova 6-4, 6-1 in the final. It was Hibino’s third career WTA title and her first since 2019.
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Lucky loser Hibino claims her third WTA title
Hibino started the match slowly, falling behind 3-0 in the first set. But she quickly found her footing and reeled off six straight games to take the lead. Hibino continued to dominate in the second set, breaking Noskova twice to seal the victory.
“I’m so happy to win this title,” Hibino said. “I didn’t expect to do this well, so I’m really excited.”
Nao Hibino is a Japanese professional tennis player. She has won three WTA titles: in 2015 at Tashkent, in 2019 at Hiroshima, and in 2024 at Prague. Hibino is known for her aggressive play style and powerful forehand. She is also a very consistent player, and she rarely makes unforced errors. Hibino is ranked No. 65 in the world.
Noskova falls to the home crowd in the final
Noskova, who was playing in her first WTA final, was disappointed but proud of her performance.
“I gave it my all, but Nao was just the better player today,” Noskova said. “I’m looking forward to building on this experience and coming back stronger next time.”
Linda Noskova is a Czech professional tennis player. She is the daughter of former tennis player Jana Novotna. Noskova won one WTA Challenger title in 2022 at Bol. She is currently ranked No. 45 in the world. Noskova is known for her all-court game and her ability to hit winners from both sides of the court. She is also an excellent mover, and she is able to chase down balls that most players would not be able to reach.
Keys and Pliskova also won in Montreal in Prague Open
In other action on Monday, Madison Keys and Karolina Pliskova both won their first-round matches in Montreal.
Keys, the No. 13 seed, defeated Venus Williams 6-2, 7-5. Keys had a strong serve, hitting 10 aces and winning 81 percent of her first-serve points.
Pliskova, the No. 6 seed, edged Lin Zhu of China 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-2. Pliskova had to battle back from a 5-2 deficit in the second set, but she eventually prevailed.
The WTA Tour is now in North America for the summer swing. The next tournament is the Rogers Cup in Montreal, which will be played from August 8–14.
The Livesport Prague Open is a WTA 250 tournament held in Prague, Czech Republic. The tournament was first held in 2005, and it has been played on clay courts since 2015. The current champion is Nao Hibino. The 2024 Livesport Prague Open was a WTA 250 tournament that was held in Prague, Czech Republic, from July 31 to August 6. The tournament was played on outdoor hard courts.
The singles champion was Nao Hibino, who defeated Linda Noskova in the final. Hibino was a lucky loser, meaning that she lost in the qualifying tournament but was still given a spot in the main draw. This was Hibino’s third career WTA title.
The doubles champions were Barbora Krejková and Kateřina Siniaková, who defeated Lyudmyla Kichenok and Anastasia Potapova in the final. Krejčíková and Siniaková are the defending champions, and this was their second consecutive title in Prague.
- The most aces in the tournament were hit by Dayana Yastremska, with 44.
- The most double faults in the tournament were hit by Rebecca Šramková, with 29.
- The longest match in the tournament was the first-round match between Yulia Putintseva and Ekaterina Alexandrova, which lasted 3 hours and 22 minutes.
- The highest-ranked player to lose in the first round was No. 13 Elise Mertens, who lost to Marie Bouzkova.
- The youngest player to reach the quarterfinals was Linda Noskova, who was 17 years old.
The Livesport Prague Open was a successful tournament, with good attendance and competitive matches. Nao Hibino’s victory was a surprise to many, but she played some great tennis throughout the week. The doubles final was also a close match, with Krejčíková and Siniaková coming out on top in the end. I look forward to seeing what the tournament has in store for next year.
The WTA Tour is the highest level of women’s professional tennis. The tour consists of over 50 tournaments, including four Grand Slam events. The WTA Tour is governed by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
