Maria Sakkari and Barbora Krejčíková kicked off their Australian Open campaigns with successful wins
Today in Melbourne, Australia, the prestigious Australian Open kicked off, featuring a notable women’s singles match between the eighth-ranked player worldwide, Maria Sakkari, and the tenth-ranked Barbora Krejčíková.
Maria Sakkari, representing Greece, began her tournament by facing the 92nd-ranked Japanese player, Nao Hibino. Despite serving three aces and committing an equal number of double faults in the first set, Sakkari demonstrated her dominance by winning four out of five games on her serves and securing two more from her opponent. Consequently, the initial set ended with a score of 6-4.
In the second set, Sakkari adopted a more cautious approach, delivering only one ace and avoiding double faults. She successfully claimed all four games on her serves, winning two out of three from her opponent. As a result, the second set concluded with a decisive score of 6-1.
Australian Open
Women’s Singles
Hard Court
First Round
Maria Sakkari vs. Nao Hibino: 6-4, 6-1
Barbora Krejčíková, the Czech player, faced off against the 122nd-ranked Japanese player, Mai Hontama, in a hard-fought first-round match at the Australian Open.
Despite being the favorite, Krejčíková encountered unexpected challenges in the first set, as Hontama confidently secured four games on her serves and an additional two on Krejčíková’s serves. Despite facing two double faults, Hontama claimed the set with a scoreline of 6-2.
In the second set, Krejčíková, ranked tenth globally, refrained from serving any aces and committed only one double fault. Although she won just two out of five games on her serves, she made a strong comeback by successfully claiming four out of five games on Hontama’s serve. Consequently, Krejčíková won the second set with a score of 6-4.
The decisive third set witnessed both players making errors, but Krejčíková displayed resilience. Winning four out of five games on her serves and two out of four on her opponent’s serve, she secured the set with a score of 6-3, ultimately clinching victory in the match.
Australian Open
Women’s Singles
Hard Court
First Round
Mai Hontama vs. Barbora Krejčíková: 6-2, 4-6, 3-6
In the next round of the tournament, Maria Sakkari is set to play against the 71st-ranked player, Elina Avanesyan, while Barbora Krejčíková will take on the 81st-ranked German player, Tamara Korpatsch.