Krejcikova Ends Hunter’s Australian Open Dream in Thrilling Three-Set Battle

Former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova has emerged victorious in a hard-fought three-set clash against Australia’s last hope, Storm Hunter, ending her dream run at the Australian Open. The match, lasting two hours and 30 minutes, witnessed Krejcikova’s resilience as she triumphed 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 over her opponent.

Hunter, a qualifier, was on the verge of becoming the first qualifier to reach the last 16 at Melbourne Park in six years. Despite several break point opportunities, she couldn’t capitalize in the crucial moments of the second set. However, Hunter’s impressive performance throughout the tournament earned her a well-deserved $255,000 payday and a provisional rise to world No.127 in the rankings.

Australian players Alex de Minaur and Ajla Tomljanovic had encouraged Hunter to participate more in singles matches following her second-round win over Laura Siegemund, who happens to be Krejcikova’s regular doubles partner.

In what appeared to be an uneven matchup on paper, Hunter, ranked 169 places lower than Krejcikova, defied expectations as she confidently claimed the first set with a series of strong serves. However, Krejcikova regained her composure, leading to an intense back-and-forth battle in the second set with multiple break points on both sides. Ultimately, Krejcikova managed to secure the set, forcing a decisive third set.

The final set saw Krejcikova break early on, establishing her dominance. Despite a late break point opportunity for Hunter, Krejcikova’s solid play enabled her to close out the match and secure a spot in the fourth round. Her next opponent will be 16-year-old Russian player Mirra Andreeva, who achieved a remarkable comeback victory earlier.