Even a minute before 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova stood at her mark to serve on Championship Point, the digital signboards around the court at SDAT Tennis Stadium, Nungambakkam, started flashing the message: “Congratulations!” The final wasn’t done yet, the last point can often be the hardest. Especially when it is for the biggest title in your young career yet. The crowd murmured as the signboards kept going for a few seconds. ‘Look they are already wishing her!’ ‘The match isn’t even over.’
But perhaps, it was tennis destiny. After a superb rally, fitting for the fantastic tennis that preceded it for nearly two hours and 40 minutes, Fruhvirtova saw the ball go beyond the baseline. She first sunk to the court on her back and then turned around on her knees to put press her face down, as the emotions burst out. The Czech teenager had done it. At the end of what had already been a dream week, there was the crowning moment.
A cursory handshake followed with the veteran Magda Linette at the end. The third seed had given it all, but her body didn’t cooperate with her mind in the final set and Fruhvirtova mounted a brilliant comeback to win the…
