You could feel the tension from the very first point. The kind of match where every rally makes your stomach tighten, where both players look like they’re playing for more than just a win. Linda Noskova, only 20, stood across from Jessica Pegula, calm. On paper, it looked like experience versus youth. Well, it was the semifinal of the China Open between Noskova and Pegula, but on court, it was fire versus control. The result? It brought tears.

Noskova started strong, breaking Pegula at 3-2 and holding confidently to take the first set 6-3. Pegula came back in the second set, breaking Noskova multiple times and dominating 6-1 as errors crept in. Noskova did not give in to the pressure the way many players would have. She remained calm, and the last set became a complete thriller. Pegula had 5-3 and three match points on the serve of Noskova, but Noskova defended them all, tied the set, and sent it to a tiebreak that would determine the result.

In the tiebreak, Pegula nearly went 4-1 up but missed a key overhead, giving Noskova the opening she needed. With nerves of steel, Noskova seized control and clinched the tiebreak 7-6(6). The emotions were drained right after the match. Linda Noskova threw down her racket and screamed, and Pegula looked shocked as she had lost her grip on the match twice. Photographer @islandtennisace captured the moment in three images as shared on X.

In the first one, Noskova was sitting on the court, covering her face with both hands, visibly overwhelmed by emotion; second, standing on the court after her victory, composed but emotional, even though smiling gently and waving toward the crowd; and third, the post-match handshake between Noskova and Pegula, both congratulating each other after a grueling battle. Caption?

The photographer captioned it: “Tough, well-earned victory, truly. That last set was insane.” The victory secured her spot in the biggest final of her career- her first at the WTA 1000 level,  and marked her fifth career final and fifth top-10 win of 2025. That hard-fought win now sends Linda Noskova to her first WTA 1000 final, where she will face a formidable opponent.

Amanda Anisimova takes on Linda Noskova in a battle you can’t miss

Amanda Anisimova is all set for the China Open final, where she’ll take on Linda Noskova. After breezing past Coco Gauff 6–1, 6–2 in just 58 minutes, Anisimova was clearly thrilled, but at that point, she didn’t know who she’d face in the final. “I am very happy to be in the final. Every time I stepped onto the court and won my match…I said that I loved playing here and that the crowd support has been incredible from day one. I really think that helped me throughout the tournament. I hope everyone… will come support me in the final,” she said. But have they ever faced each other? Well, yes!

Anisimova and Noskova are tied (1-1) in their head-to-head record. The first time they faced each other on the big stage was at Indian Wells in March 2023, with Noskova defeating Anisimova in straight sets 2–0, and then this year at Wimbledon, where Anisimova defeated Noskova in three sets, 6–2, 5-7, 6-4. With Anisimova playing tough and in good shape against the recent resilience of Linda Noskova, the final is a hard-fought, high-intensity battle. Strategy, big moments, and the drama of a WTA 1000 final will be played out in front of the fans. So, who do you think can win? Only time will tell!