Noskova fires Czech Republic into BJK Cup semi-finals

Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova helped the Czech Republic into the semi-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup with a 6-2, 7-6 (7/3) victory over Great Britain's Katie Boulter in Shenzhen on Tuesday. Noskova's win secured a 2-0 win for the Czechs, who will next face either Kazakhstan or Spain as they seek their 12th title in the competition. "The first match is never easy, no matter what. So, I was surprised by the way that I played in the first set, especially," said the sixth-ranked Noskova, who fired 15 aces and faced no break points. "Obviously, second set was a lot tougher. Katie served really well and didn't give me many chances, so I had to kind of use anything that I have in the tie-break, and that worked." Noskova breezed through the opening set and came up with clutch serves at crucial moments in the second to wrap up the match. Earlier, Czech captain Barbora Strycova selected Marie Bouzkova as her No.2 singles player instead of the eighth-ranked Karolina Muchova, and was rewarded for her choice. Bouzkova used her all-court prowess and clever net play to put the Czechs in front, surviving a three-hour tug of war with Sonay Kartal to record a 7-6 (7/2),...