Linda Noskova was prepared to take on World No. 1 Elena Rybakina until the eve of the WTA Finals. But the tournament was thrown into chaos when the Kazakh pulled out at the last moment due to an illness. This not only meant that the WTA had to look for a replacement, but it also affected Noskova, as she had just one day to prepare for a new opponent. Marta Kostyuk was added to the tournament, a player Noskova had defeated twice earlier this season. But the Czech didn’t think much of the last-minute change.

“I just had to quickly get used to a different opponent,” she said after the match. “But the preparations were all the same, so not much has changed.”

Noskova went on to comfortably defeat Kostyuk 6-2, 6-4, beginning the year-end tournament on a high. It was evident that the Ukrainian wasn’t well-prepared for the match, as she didn’t even expect to play the tournament and was added to the lineup just a day before.

“I wasn’t expecting to start the tournament from the first match,” she said during the post-match press conference. “I wasn’t expecting to play at all, if I’m honest.”

Kostyuk had been named as an alternate for the WTA Finals despite finishing tenth in the race with 3,910 points. Iga Swiatek would have been added to the tournament instead of her if she hadn’t ended her season early due to a left thigh injury. This is because she had finished ninth in the race with 4,188 points.

Kostyuk may have gotten the opportunity to play the WTA Finals for the first time, but her form and fitness remain a major concern. A recurring wrist injury has been bothering her since the North American swing, and this has led to a decline in her results. Notably, the 24-year-old hasn’t won a match since the US Open.

She suffered a 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 defeat to Liudmila Samsonova in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open before Maria Sakkari knocked her out of the Wuhan Open in the opening round. Kostyuk’s fortunes didn’t change at the Ningbo Open as the wrist injury resulted in her retiring from her clash against Ekaterina Alexandrova after losing the first set 6-4. Additionally, she had to withdraw from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals and the China Open due to the wrist injury.

Her losing streak has now stretched to five matches. She will lock horns against Jessica Pegula in the next match. Though the American has a 4-3 lead in the H2H record, Kostyuk will feel confident heading into the clash as she has recorded two wins in the matchup this season. The Ukrainian had first defeated Pegula 6-0, 6-3 at the Brisbane International before racking up another solid 6-1, 6-4 win at the Madrid Open.

On the other hand, Noskova will be taking on Coco Gauff. Both players have begun the WTA Finals on a positive note, as Gauff got the better of Pegula in her opening match. While the World No. 4 may appear to have the advantage due to a better ranking and a 2-1 lead in the H2H record, Noskova is having her most successful year on the Tour. It won’t be a surprise if she becomes the first player from Group A to reach the knockouts. The victory over Kostyuk also saw her join an elite list of Czech players.

Linda Noskova joined Petra Kvitova on an elite list after the win against Marta Kostyuk

Noskova has become the third-youngest Czech player to record a win at the WTA Finals. The 21-year-old is only behind Helena Sukova and Petra Kvitova on the list. She reached the year-end tournament after having a splendid season, which included a remarkable Wimbledon triumph. She also played a key role in Czechia’s victory at the Billie Jean King Cup.

Noskova is also level with Alexandra Eala for the most victories since the start of the grass-court season at 24. She is expected to surpass the latter at the WTA Finals. On top of this, she has won 41 matches on the Tour this year, surpassing her tally of 40 from last season.

Having made a positive start at the WTA Finals, Noskova will be confident about reaching the knockouts. Another victory will be enough for her to reach the stage. But the matches are only going to get tougher, as both Gauff and Pegula will undoubtedly be tough to beat.