US Open 2021 LIVE: Barbora Krejcikova wins – No. 8 seed Barbora Krejcikova had never played in the US Open main draw before Monday. But that didn’t stop her from sending a big message to the rest of the field, as she cruised past Australian qualifier Astra Sharma 6-0, 6-4 in a first-round match.
Barbora Krejcikova continued to display the stellar form that has led to her rapid rise up the rankings in 2021. The 25-year-old Czech sits at a career-high world No. 9 – having started the year at No. 65 – after a breakthrough season that has seen her lift three trophies. The biggest victory of all came at Roland Garros, where she tore through the draw to win her first Grand Slam title in singles.
Barbora Krejcikova with a statement #USOpen debut.
The Roland Garros champion defeats Astra Sharma 60 64 in 1R. Faces either Navarro or McHale in 2R.
Has now won 26 of her last 29 matches, playing on three different surfaces over that span.
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) August 30, 2021
US Open 2021 LIVE: She’s shown no signs of slowing down on hard courts. Barbora Krejcikova quickly overwhelmed 25-year-old Sharma, who was seeking her own first main-draw win at the US Open after back-to-back first-round defeats. The Czech didn’t give her opponent anything to work with, winning 100% of her first-serve points and 75% of second-serve points across a 21-minute opening set.
Sharma acquitted herself admirably in the second set as she got herself on the scoreboard, but it was already too late. The Aussie went down a break in her first service game of the set, and never managed to recover even as she fought off seven more break points across subsequent games. Krejcikova herself only faced break points on one occasion and served out the victory 6-0, 6-4.
US Open 2021 LIVE: Barbora Krejcikova will next face an American player, either wildcard Emma Navarro or New Jersey’s Christina McHale. Barbora Krejcikova has landed in the same section as fellow Roland Garros winner Garbine Muguruza, and the pair could meet in the quarterfinals. Should they both advance, it would be their third encounter of the year, with the wins split at one apiece. Krejcikova claimed victory in their most recent match during the US Open Series, edging through a tight three-setter on her way to the Cincinnati quarterfinals.
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