Photo Source: Camera Sport
Barbora Krejcikova probably felt like she had one foot in the taxi to the airport on Tuesday, as she was steamrolled in the opening set of Monday's first-round encounter by 20-year-old talent Alexandra Eala.
But the defending champion was able to rally and put the Filipina’s upset bid to bed with a resounding 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory to reach the second round at the Championships. Always a classy individual, and one who is cognizant of the talent on the WTA Tour, Krejcikova was eager to give the kid credit after the dust had settled.
“I would like to start by giving the credit to Alex,” Krejcikova said on court after her win. “What the hell did she play in the first set? She was smashing the ball and cleaning the lines and all that, so … wow, it’s the next generation coming, she’s going to be really good in the next couple of years.”
Eala, who became the first Filipina to reach a WTA final last week in Eastbourne, struck 24 winners and 34 unforced errors in her Wimbledon main draw debut, but was unable to win enough points on serve in the second and third sets as Krejcikova used her easy power to storm to victory.
The 17th seed entered Wimbledon on a hobble, after having pulled out of Eastbourne with a thigh injury, but she showed excellent form down the stretch as she cracked 44 winners and converted six breaks of serve to quell Eala’s upset bid and avoid becoming the third defending women’s singles champion to lose in the opening round of her title defense in the Open Era.
Krejcikova will face either Caroline Dolehide or Arantxa Rus in the second round.
“Definitely six months ago I was in a lot of pain with my back and I really didn’t know how my career was going to go,” she said. “I’m super happy and super excited that I can be here.”