Krejcikova navigates tricky Wimbledon start to put supercomputers in their place

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"Barbora Krejcikova Defeats Alexandra Eala to Advance in Wimbledon"

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Barbora Krejcikova, the defending champion at Wimbledon, successfully advanced to the second round after overcoming a challenging first match against rising Filipino star Alexandra Eala. Despite predictions from Wimbledon’s supercomputers that she would lose, Krejcikova demonstrated resilience after an initially rocky start. The match began with Eala, only 20 years old, showcasing her powerful game and taking the first set 6-3. Krejcikova, who has struggled with injuries this season and had previously withdrawn from Eastbourne due to a thigh issue, appeared to lack the agility and power needed to compete effectively in the early stages. However, she managed to regroup and refocus during the second set, capitalizing on a fortunate forehand winner that helped her break Eala’s serve and establish a commanding 5-0 lead.

As the match progressed, the tide shifted in Krejcikova's favor, with Eala's performance faltering under pressure. Krejcikova's experience began to shine through as she found her rhythm, breaking Eala’s opening service game in the third set and maintaining control of the match. The young Filipino player, visibly frustrated by her inability to sustain her early momentum, began to make uncharacteristic errors, allowing Krejcikova to extend her lead. The defending champion, despite having played only six matches this year, showcased a strong mental game and a determination to succeed. In a moment of emotion, Krejcikova celebrated a crucial second break that put her ahead 5-1 in the final set, ultimately securing her place in the next round of the tournament and dispelling the doubts cast by the supercomputers.

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Barbora Krejcikova avoided the curse of the early Czech-out on Tuesday as she held off the hustle of the rising Filipino star Alexandra Eala to progress to the second round atWimbledon.

The defending women’s champion has seen her season blitzed by injury, and was predicted by Wimbledon’s in-house supercomputers to lose here and echo her compatriot Marketa Vondruosava, who last year became the first women’s champion to exit at the first round since 1994.

After an opening set in which she was outrun and outpowered by the 20-year-old Eala, however, Krejcikova found her form and kept her cool in the heat of mid-afternoon to claim her place in the second round.

Against a shimmering backdrop of supporters beating their fans under the Centre Court sun it was a battle between experience and enthusiasm, with the latter landing the first blow. Eala was distraught atlosing in the final at Eastbourneon Saturday and looked determined to make an impression here as she battered Krejcikova early on with a series of punishing strokes off either side. The 29-year-old champion, who pulled out of Eastbourne with a thigh complaint, seemed to lack both the agility and the power to keep up and dropped consecutive service games on the way to losing the first set 6-3.

A clean hold at the start of the second set gave the Czech a chance to catch her breath and a lucky forehand winner at 0-15 gave her a platform to build a break in the second game of the second set. She took the opportunity with both hands and soon swept to a 5-0 lead with both power and movement at striking odds to the action witnessed earlier.

Such are the vicissitudes of this sport and as Krejcikova rose so Eala began to drop in her levels, the left-hander no longer able to deploy her power as reliably as she had. It was Eala making the errors and Krejcikova finding her marks, and the Czech broke Eala’s opening service game in the third set to take what proved a vital lead in the match. As Eala tried and failed to fight her way back into the match, her frustration began to become more visible. Krejcikova displayed her emotions just once, meanwhile, yelling as she sealed a second break to go 5-1 up in the final set.

Having played just six matches in the year to this point, Krejcikova’s body may not be at its most highly conditioned. Her mentality, however, is drum tight.

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Source: The Guardian