Lexus Nottingham Open 2026: Karolina Pliskova and Maria Bouzkova set up an all-Czech semi-final
• 3 minute read
Compatriots Karolina Pliskova and Maria Bouzkova will face off in the Lexus Nottingham Open semi-finals after straight set wins in the quarters.
Bouzkova beat 2025 HSBC Championships champion Tatjana Maria 7-5, 6-0 in an hour and 40 minutes, while Pliskova moved past Nottingham debutant Talia Gibson 7-5, 6-4.
There was little between Pliskova and Gibson in the opening set but it was the former champion who found the breakthrough at 6-5 to serve out the set with her first set point.
The 17-time WTA Tour titleholder and former Wimbledon finalist clinched the crucial break at 3-3 in the second set. Pliskova kept her nerve, losing just two points across her final two service games to see out the win.
“Happy but definitely not my best match today," Pliskova said after the match. "I think the conditions were really difficult with the wind so I could barely feel the ball as well as I did yesterday. Yesterday was such a great match so it was kind of tough to come back here and show the same level.
“But still really proud that I somehow managed to stay calm because if you don’t feel great, it’s easy to get negative which I can be sometimes.
"Overall happy with the win, happy to be back in semis after three years ago when I played in the final so I just like this court.”
“The goal is always the same, to somehow get through matches and obviously in the end there’s always the chance for the title so I will always aim for that, especially if you’ve already won this tournament before.”
Pliskova now holds a 12-1 win record at the Lexus Nottingham Open, losing only to Katie Boulter in the 2024 final.
The former world No.1 has seen a lot of success on the British grass courts, having picked up her first title in Nottingham in 2016, before lifting the Lexus Eastbourne Open trophy in 2017 and 2019 as well as a run to the Wimbledon final in 2021, where she lost out to Australia's Ash Barty.
Fourth seed Bouzkova had to dig deep after surrendering a 4-0 lead to an experienced grass court player in the opening set. The Czech star settled the nerves with a vital hold before breaking for a third time and taking the set.
The world No.27 powered through the second set, dropping just five points (12/17) behind her serve and rattling off six consecutive games to book her spot in the final four.
“Super happy, it was such a tricky match” Bouzkova said of her win. “Tatjana is such a great competitor on the grass especially.
“It was a little bit up and down but I’m really glad I could fight my way through in the first set and then keep it going. Just overall really happy to be in the semis.”
“I was just trying to keep believing and keep playing confident and showing her that I’m confident enough to finish it in two. I’m very pleased with that, I kept serving and kept being aggressive and I never slowed down.”
On her way to her first career tour semi-final on grass, Bouzkova has defeated fellow Czech player Tereza Valentova in the first round before moving past British teenager Hannah Klugman in yesterday’s second round match. Yet to drop a set in the competition, Bouzkova will be looking for another Czech win to continue her quest for a fourth WTA title.
Pliskova leads the Czech pair’s head-to-head, having won in two of their three meetings including most recently in 2022 at the US Open. However, Bouzkova won on the clay earlier that year and the pair have yet to play on grass.
Both players kicked off their grass court season at the HSBC Championships last week where both lost out to eventual champion Donna Vekic - Bouzkova in the second round and Pliskova in the quarter-finals.
Tomorrow’s battle of the Czechs semi-final is set to an exciting contest – you can follow all the action on our results & updates page and watch live across BBC digital services and on the Tennis Channel.
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