Czech tennis player Markéta Vondroušová (26) started at the WTA 500 event in Adelaide by scalping the 18th player in the world Ljudmila Samsonova (27) and had a very acceptable draw until the semifinals of the tournament. However, for an unknown reason, she did not participate in the round of 16 match with home team Kimberly Birrell (27). Tereza Valentová (18), who lost 4:6, 1:6 to Madison Keysová (30), did not advance to the top eight. Kateřina Siniaková (29) fell to Diana Šnajderová (21) after three sets 1:6, 6:1, 5:7.
Siniak did not do well in the first set of the round of 16 match in Adelaide against Šnajderová. She couldn’t rely on her serve, which she lost twice in a row, and she had no chance against the well-playing Russian. She played the only game at the beginning, when she equalized at 1:1. However, she subsequently lost five games in a row.
In the second set, the match turned. The Czech lost her opponent three times in a row, and despite one hesitation on her own serve, she quickly led 5:1. Although she did not manage to add to the set, a game later she succeeded on the return and sent the match to the deciding act.
The third set was the most even. Both players improved their serve and were able to hold their serves. Russia had more chances, but did not use the break point in the first or seventh games. It was decided only in the ending itself. In the 11th game, Siniakova’s service game failed, she was unable to react to her opponent’s quick shots and let Šnajderová take the lead 6:5. She subsequently added to the match.
Siniaková and Šnajderová played their third mutual duel. The very first one took place a year ago in Adelaide, when Russia won in three sets. In the autumn in Wuhan, the Czech Republic managed to equalize the mutual balance.
Valentová was the only Czech to successfully qualify for the 500 in Adelaide, and in the first round, after a sensational turnaround from 0:5 in the first set, she advanced over Jelena Ostapenko, who scratched the match at 2:3 in the second set. However, in the round of 16, she ran into the ninth player in the world, Keys, and had absolutely no chance.
She was able to keep up with the winner of last year’s Australian Open, at least in the opening act. In an even start full of break points and lost serves, the American broke twice. However, Keys gradually played out and dominated from 4:4. She won eight of nine games and advanced to the quarterfinals after an hour and 25 minutes.
The next opponent of the seeded number two and last year’s champion will be a teenager again. For the first time, she will face the Canadian Victoria Mbokova, the eight seed of the tournament, who won her place in the top eight after two three-set wins.
Even Vondroušová, who scored her first win of the season on her second attempt here against a TOP 20 player, is not continuing in Adelaide either. She beat Samsonová after more than two hours after a very good performance 6:1, 4:6, 6:2 and it seemed that she could go far in the tournament.
Her next opponent was supposed to be the domestic wild card and the 107th ranked player Birrellová. However, the Czech tennis player did not participate in the round of 16 match and withdrew a few minutes before the start of the match for an unknown reason. The Australian will play with qualifier Jaqueline Cristiano for the promotion to the top four.
The Czech in Adelaide ended in a similar way last year. Back then, she started with a three-set win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and in the round of 16, after winning the set, she had to withdraw due to pain in her left shoulder against Diana Šnajderová. Because of this, she subsequently lost the Australian Open.
It seems that she didn’t want to take any risks this year and prefers to recover 100% so that she can start at the first Grand Slam of the season. In Melbourne at her last start in 2024, she finished in the first round, the furthest she reached here was the round of 16 five years ago.
Vondroušová thus expanded the Czech marodka, which is already very numerous in the first weeks of the season. This year, Jiří Lehečka, Linda Nosková, Barbora Krejčíková, Karolína Plíšková, Sára Bejlek, Marie Bouzková and now Vondroušová have already suffered a scratch, withdrawal from the tournament, withdrawal or performance affected by injury.
Results of the WTA 500 tournament in Adelaide
