'I'm taking the big one' - how Noskova stared down heartbreak to win Wimbledon

LONDON, July 11 : For most 21-year-old players in their first Grand Slam final, squandering five match points from a position of complete domination would represent an existential crisis that would be impossible to recover from.

Linda Noskova proved she is made of tougher stuff though as she banished the mental demons and recovered her equilibrium to beat fellow Czech and friend Karolina Muchova 6-2 5-7 6-3 in the Wimbledon showpiece.

When the ninth seed led 5-2 in the second set, it seemed only a matter of minutes before she would be lifting aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish on a sunlit Centre Court and join an illustrious list of fellow Czechs to win the title.

Instead, she saw three match points come and go as Muchova served at 2-5, served a double-fault on another one at 5-3 as the nerves took hold of her right arm and then watched as yet another one went begging in the ninth game.

By the time Muchova had reeled off five consecutive games to send the final into a deciding set that had never looked likely, Noskova looked shell-shocked, walking towards her chair covering her ears to block out the roars of the crowd.

As she departed for a comfort break, her title hopes looked shot, but something shiny caught her eye on the route to the bathroom and it was enough to snap her back into life.

"I was just telling myself that the match is starting over. I was in the bathroom. I just splashed some cold water on me, started over again," she told reporters.

"But what really helped me, like the first step I took off court, the trophies were there. I was like, I'm not going to take the small one, I'm taking the big one. I have been so close. This will probably be the heartbreak of my life.

"I was looking at the big one. I was like, I'm