Linda Noskova last week she excelled in Adelaide, where she defeated world number eight Darja Kasatkina, runner-up Ons Dzabúrová or two-time Australian Open champion Viktoria Azarenková, and only lost to another Top 10 member, Aryna Sabalenková, in her first final on the highest circuit. With the help of a sensational result in a heavily booked WTA 500 tournament, she returned to the top 100 and moved up 46 places to 56th place.
However, she had very little time to move to Melbourne, about 700 kilometers away, and in less than two days she had to be ready to play the first qualifying round at the Australian Open.
The 18-year-old Czech, who played her eighth competitive match since the last day of December and played four three-set battles in Adelaide as expected, looked exhausted and Katherine Sebova after less than two hours he lost 4-6 6-3 4-6.
A #AO2023 Qualifying STUNNER
Katherine Sebov eliminates Adelaide Noskova’s finalist.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/LKc5j9hFHA
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 10, 2023
The No. 2 seed showed the first hesitation on her serve at 4-4, and the 191st-ranked Canadian confidently completed the opening act. Nosková, however, did not give up and leveled the scores thanks to just one break in the second set. But another lost serve came in the eighth game of the deciding set. Her rival gave her a hand when she hesitated to serve, but her favorite couldn’t make it 5-5.
Nosková, who needed three more cancellations to be able to participate directly in the main competition of the opening major of the year, will now most likely return to Europe very quickly and prepare for the tournament in Lyon. The French indoor event is scheduled from January 30th.
On the other hand, all three of his compatriots managed Melbourne Park today, Brenda Fruhvirtová, Barbora Palicová and Sára Bejlek reached the second round.
