Lilli Tagger won six of the last seven points edging home hero Barbora Krejcikova in a Prague thriller.
By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, July 25, 2026
Photo credit: Owen Hammond/Nur Photo/Getty
Fearless first-strike tennis powered Lilli Tagger through a dramatic tiebreaker finish into the Prague final.
The 18-year-old Tagger charged through six of the last seven points edging home hero Barbora Krejcikova 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(4) to battle into her second career final at the Livesport Prague Open today.
World No. 74 Tagger rises up 22 spots in the rankings to a new career-high of No. 52 in the WTA Live Rankings.
Based on this performance of power and poise, the Austrian teenager is heading for even higher ground.
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The 2010 Roland Garros champion Francesca Schiavone, who is Tagger’s coach, broke into a wide grin and pointed at her charge after a pulsating two hour, 50-minute triumph that was a test of stamina and nerves. Like her coach, Tagger whipped some wondrous one-handed backhand strikes when she needed them to score one of her biggest career victories.
Tagger will play for her maiden WTA title tomorrow when she takes on Daria Snigur in the final.
The eighth-seeded Snigur saved seven of 10 break points stopping 19-year-old Prague native Tereza Valentova 7-6(4), 6-3 in today’s first semifinal.
Eleven Czech woman were in the singles field when the tournament began and Prague fans were hoping for an all-Czech final when the day’s play began.
Tagger spoiled the prospect of a seventh Czech champion in the last 12 years scoring her third career Top 50 victory.
Empowered by her run to the Athens title last weekend, Krejcikova rode an eight-match winning streak into this semifinal.
Showing her court craft and savvy shot selection, Krejcikova rallied from 3-5 down in the opening set.
Three times, Tagger was two points from taking the opening set, but the teenager ran into stiff resistance from the Czech.
The 2021 Prague champion broke back when Tagger served for the set then threw down a strong hold at 15 for a 6-5 lead. Tagger aced her way into the first-set tiebreaker.
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Even at 4-all, Krejcikova thumped a biting serve down the T, then followed with three fantastic forcing volleys to earn set points at 6-4. On her second set point, Krejcikova coaxed a forehand error to steal a set in which Tagger outplayed her for stretches.
Playing with taping wrapping her right thigh, Tagger looked fresher and more energized as the second set progressed.
Lashing heavy strikes down the line, Tagger punished the two-time Grand Slam champion rampaging through 16 of the last 19 points of the second set.
When Krejcikova pasted a forehand into the middle of the net, Tagger closed the second set on her second set point.
The 18-year-old Austrian forced a third set after one hour, 34 minutes of play
Staring down triple break point, Krejcikova dug in with defiance denying four break points in all in a fierce hold for 3-2.
Tagger stopped her three-game slide holding to level after six games.
Stepping into her strike, Tagger blistered a backhand winner down the line to level the decider, 4-all.
Though she looked the wearier of the two semifinalists, Krejcikova cracked an ace and cranked a forehand winner behind the Austrian in a confident hold for 6-5.
Down 1-3 in the third-set tiebreaker, a bold Tagger completely flipped the script blasting a brilliant backhand return winner down the line for the mini-break.
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That strike had ramifications as Krejcikova crumbled committing a couple of errors before Tagger torched her 12th ace for match points at 6-4.
Krejcikova netted one final backhand as Tagger closed in two hours, 50 minutes.
Richard Pagliaro. Richard Pagliaro is Tennis Now Managing Editor. He is a graduate of New York University and has covered pro tennis for more than 35 years. Richard was tennis columnist for Gannett Newspapers in NY, served as Managing Editor for TennisWeek.com and worked as a writer/editor for Tennis.com. He has been TennisNow.com managing editor since 2010.