A Hot and Unlikely Stage for a Big WTA Clash
With the sound of a hyped-up announcer in the background, the cheers of spectators from another court, and the sun in Cincinnati blazing straight onto the faces of a handful of fans exiled to Court No. 9, this looked like the hellhole of WTA tennis. But nothing could be further from the truth, because it was here today that two of the sport’s biggest talents — Czech player Linda Noskova (20) and 17-year-old American Iva Jovic — faced each other. The conditions could hardly be described as more underwhelming for two of the most promising players on the WTA Tour.
Iva Jovic and Linda Noskova – Talent at Different Stages
For those less familiar with Iva Jovic, she is an intelligent player with an excellent two-handed backhand, sharp focus, and great on-court presence. She is already ranked inside the Top 100 and has reached the second round at both Roland Garros and the Australian Open. Add to that her win in Berkeley in September 2024 — when, at just 16 years old, she defeated Victoria Mboko in three sets — and you immediately know the caliber of talent we’re dealing with.
Compared to the American, Linda Noskova already seems like a battle-hardened player, though she is still only 20 years old. Nearly winning bronze at the Paris Olympic Games, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open, and making the fourth round at Wimbledon this year all back that up.
First Set to Jovic, Second Set Slips Away for Noskova
The first set started evenly, but it was the American lucky loser who broke Noskova first. The Czech couldn’t break back, partly because Jovic fired an ace at just the right moment to get to deuce. The American consolidated the break, and Noskova never caught up in this set. Deep shots, variety in play, and a devastating backhand from sharp angles — everything clicked for the teenager.
In the second set, things went from bad to worse for Linda Noskova. Her body language turned outright negative as Iva Jovic gained more and more confidence with every ball struck. A strong kick serve on break point in Jovic’s first service game consolidated her initial break. At 6-3, 2-0, Jovic looked unstoppable. This was perfectly illustrated when Noskova even began faltering on her toss in her service game — suddenly it was 4-0 for Iva Jovic. Mentally, the Czech seemed already broken at the changeover.
A Breakthrough Victory for Iva Jovic
Jovic, however, didn’t flinch. Staying in her bubble, exceptionally focused, she powered through to 4-0 with an ace. Even the spectators seemed to catch the scent of something special, as suddenly more than a dozen people were watching this young American talent. And they were right to make their way to Court No. 9 — they witnessed one of the biggest wins of Iva Jovic’s young career, a player clearly on the verge of breaking through to the big stage. Linda Noskova is already there in a way, but today, under the blazing Cincinnati sun, it simply wasn’t her day. Iva Jovic defeated Noskova 6-3 6-0 leaving Court No. 9 stunned and she will now face Barbora Krejcikova in the next round.
Statistical Breakdown – Noskova vs Jovic
| Statistic | Noskova | Jovic |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.47 | 2.15 |
| Serve Rating | 175 | 299 |
| Aces | 1 | 4 |
| Double Faults | 4 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 43% (18/42) | 47% (24/51) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 50% (9/18) | 75% (18/24) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 42% (10/24) | 74% (20/27) |
| Break Points Saved | 33% (2/6) | 100% (6/6) |
| Service Games | 43% (3/7) | 100% (8/8) |
| Ace % | 2.4% | 7.8% |
| Double Fault % | 9.5% | 2% |
| Return Rating | 51 | 232 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 25% (6/24) | 50% (9/18) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 26% (7/27) | 58% (14/24) |
| Break Points Won | 0% (0/6) | 67% (4/6) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/8) | 57% (4/7) |
| Pressure Points | 17% (2/12) | 83% (10/12) |
| Service Points | 45% (19/42) | 75% (38/51) |
| Return Points | 25% (13/51) | 55% (23/42) |
| Total Points | 34% (32/93) | 66% (61/93) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 3 | 15 |
| Service Games Won | 43% (3/7) | 100% (8/8) |
| Return Games Won | 0% (0/8) | 57% (4/7) |
| Total Games Won | 20% (3/15) | 80% (12/15) |
| Max Games In A Row | 1 | 7 |
| Injury Timeouts | 0 | 0 |
| Match Duration | 1h 10m | |