Kostyuk, Noskova reach Wimbledon semis

Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova moved into their first Wimbledon semifinals with straight-set wins in the women’s quarterfinals, opening a path to a first-time champion at the All England Club. Kostyuk beat Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 on Centre Court, and Noskova followed with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Elise Mertens on No. 1 Court on July 8. Wimbledon’s official draw and Thursday order of play then set the second semifinal as Kostyuk against Noskova, with Coco Gauff facing Karolina Muchova in the other match. (wimbledon.com) ### How did Kostyuk get through Paolini so quickly? (olympics.com) Marta Kostyuk took control early against Jasmine Paolini and finished the match in 69 minutes, according to Wimbledon’s match report. The 12th seed was making her Centre Court debut and beat the 2024 runner-up 6-3, 6-2 for her maiden Wimbledon semifinal. Wimbledon said Kostyuk’s win was built on aggressive returning and accuracy, while Paolini was the only former finalist left in the women’s draw when the quarterfinal began. After the match, Kostyuk opened her on-court remarks by saying, “First of all, hello Centre Court,” according to Wimbledon. (wimbledon.com) ### What did Noskova have to handle against Mertens? Linda Noskova beat Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5 after resisting a second-set push from the Belgian, according to Olympics.com. The 21-year-old Czech reached her first Wimbledon semifinal and set up a meeting with Kostyuk in the last four. (wimbledon.com) Olympics.com said Noskova described the upcoming match in direct terms after learning her opponent. “It’s going to be a battle,” Noskova said, adding that the quarterfinal itself “was never going to be easy.” (wimbledon.com) ### Why does the bracket guarantee a new women’s champion? Wimbledon’s official women’s draw shows the semifinalists as Gauff, Muchova, Kostyuk and Noskova. None of the four has previously won the Wimbledon singles title, and Olympics.com said all four were chasing the Venus Rosewater Dish for the first time. (olympics.com) The quarterfinal results also removed the last former Wimbledon finalist left in the draw when Paolini lost to Kostyuk. Wimbledon’s match report identified Paolini as the only former finalist remaining in the women’s field before that result. (olympics.com) ### What is at stake for Kostyuk and Noskova now? Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova are both in a first Wimbledon semifinal, but they arrived there from different positions in the draw. Kostyuk came through as the No. 12 seed, while Noskova is seeded No. 9 in Wimbledon’s official bracket. (wimbledon.com) The matchup also places two players from the same generation into a Grand Slam semifinal with a place in the Wimbledon final at stake. Noskova is 21, according to Olympics.com, and Kostyuk’s breakthrough run has put her into the last four at the All England Club for the first time, according to Wimbledon. (wimbledon.com) ### When are the semifinals and in what order will they be played? Thursday, July 9, is women’s semifinal day at Wimbledon, and Olympics.com’s order-of-play report lists Karolina Muchova against Coco Gauff first on Centre Court, followed by Marta Kostyuk against Linda Noskova. (wimbledon.com) The same report said the women’s singles event would take center stage that day. Wimbledon’s official draw page also places Kostyuk and Noskova together in the second semifinal slot. The winners of the two July 9 matches will advance to the women’s singles final at the All England Club. (olympics.com) (wimbledon.com) (olympics.com)