Last year’s French Open finalist, US Open semi-finalist and Czech number two Karolína Muchová did not have time to finish treating her sore wrist before Melbourne. Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová (No. 4) then announced on New Year’s Eve that she was expecting a child.
However, the current domestic number one and reigning Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová ended right at the start after an unequivocal duel with the Ukrainian Dajana Jastremska (1:6, 2:6), when she seemed surrendered due to hip problems. A sad fate also met Maria Bouzková (5th) in the derby with Linda Nosková (1:6, 5:7).
Of the Czech top 5, only Barbora Krejčíková (3rd), the winner from Paris 2021, who is defending the round of 16 at the opening Grand Slam of the year, remained in the game in Australia. “The first rounds are generally difficult, but I still believed that I could get back into the match,” said Krejčíková after her hard-fought three-set victory over Japanese wild card holder Hontama.
In the second round, the 28-year-old tennis player should fulfill the role of the favorite against the German Tamara Korpatschová, and then Krejčíková would have to face a spicy duel in any case. Either she would play against her new doubles partner Laura Siegemundová, or against the home team Storm Hunterová, who replaced Kateřina Siniaková after the breakup of the successful Czech couple K+S.
The inscrutable Krejčíková kicked out coach Aleš Kartus last year and tours tournaments in the company of her friend and sparring partner Pavel Motl. Last year, however, she already played in the quarterfinals at the AO, and it is within her power to get into the top eight again.
Already on the first day of the tournament, Brenda Fruhvirtová shined with her first Grand Slam win, but in the second match she lost to last year’s winner and world number two Arya Sabalenková. Of the other Czech teenage girls, attention will be mainly focused on Nosková, even though she has Iga Šwiateková in her part of the tournament spider. However, the lot did not exactly go well with the Polish world number one. First round: 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, second round: match winner Danielle Collins – Angelique Kerber.
Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Nosková should confirm her game progress after the win over Bouzková against the 206th player in the world, the American Kesslerová. Only then would a duel with Šwiateková, with whom she lost the only mutual match last year in Warsaw, possibly follow.
“Linda is the future of tennis,” claimed world number six Tunisian Uns Džábirová after her match with Nosková at the US Open. And now the time is slowly coming for this prediction to begin to come true.
2024-01-16 00:00:00
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