Anisimova ends Czech three-peat hopes with victory over Noskova

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LONDON - Amanda Anisimova ended Linda Noskovas hopes of completing a Czech three-peat at Wimbledon on Sunday after the American 13th seed brought out her A-game to end her rivals barnstorming run with a 6-2 5-7 6-4 victory to reach the quarter-finals.

After Marketa Vondrousovas and Barbora Krejcikovas unexpected triumphs at the All England Club over the past two years, 30th seed Noskova would have harboured hopes of following in their footsteps, especially as she was the last Czech standing among the eight who had started in the womens draw.

However, Anisimova wasted little time in exposing Noskovas lack of grasscourt craft as she broke the 30th seed for a 2-0 lead with some crisp hitting from the baseline and again in the eighth game to capture the first set with a scorching forehand winner.

Played under a closed Court One roof on a soggy day at Wimbledon, the contest failed to catch fire during the opening set as the majority of ticket holders in the 12,000-capacity arena had abandoned their seats following British hope Cameron Norries nerve-jangling 4-1/2 hour win over Nicolas Jarry.

The smattering of spectators who did stick around saw Noskova, who had won only one match at Wimbledon before this week, find her comfort zone in the floodlit arena in the second set as she broke for a 2-1 lead.

The 20-year-old missed her chance to level the match when she served at 5-4, with Anisimova saving a set point with a mis-hit service return winner en route to grabbing the break back to level at 5-5.

Noskova did not dwell on that near-miss and she broke again for a 6-5 lead before making sure her