By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday January 12, 2022
When it involves ladies’s tennis, the Czech wave has but to interrupt, however it’s properly and swelling because it strikes towards the shore.
That pattern continued on Friday in Melbourne as 15-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova joined her 17-year-old sister in the primary draw by finishing her qualifying run (3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4) over Bouzas Maneiro of Spain).
Fruhvirtova was an absolute terror within the ITF circuit final yr, successful 50 of 59 matches together with all eight finals she performed, as she rose from outdoors of the highest 1000 to 130 on this planet. She will face Aliaksandra Sasnovich within the opening spherical.
The youngest qualifier at an Australian Open is Marta Kostyuk at 15 years and 5 months.
Brenda Fruhvirtová is 15 years and 9 months.
The youngest ever participant to play on the Australian Open is Martina Hingis in 1995. 14 years and three months.@VFebbo96 @NeilMcMahon @AttardMon pic.twitter.com/zmJxRbiDJH
— Kevin Pollard (@football_roos) January 12, 2023
The Fruhvirtova’s shall be joined by Sara Bejlek, who additionally certified, and who’s 16. Bejlek reached the Roland-Garros Girls’ Singles semis final yr and gained the Girls Doubles titles.
It’s a magical time for Czech ladies, and the aforementioned trio aren’t the one younger gamers set to make an influence on tour within the years to come back. Linda Noskova, who reached the ultimate at Adelaide final week, fell in qualifying, however is anticipated to be a prime participant.
Five of the ten highest-ranked gamers aged 18 or youthful on tour simply so occur to be Czech. That record additionally contains Lucie Havlickova and Nikola Bartunkova.
Circling again to the youthful Fruhvirtova – she is the fifth-youngest participant to ever qualify for the Australian Open’s fundamental draw.
Her sister Linda, who’s presently ranked 80 on this planet, will face Jamie Fourliss of Australia within the opening spherical.
Last yr, on the US Open, the place she reached the second spherical, the older Fruhvirtova had this to say about her sister.
This 15-year-old has QUALIFIED ????
???????? Brenda Fruhvirtova strikes into her first Grand Slam fundamental draw! #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/UkjcxkFloF
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 12, 2023
“I’m so happy for her, she’s crushing the opponents now and I really believe that she’s going to be here next year. Also, she’s really young and she’s really good. She’s working hard and she’s improving and I don’t think the 25Ks are her level anymore and she can definitely play a great level of tennis. She can face tough opponents, so I’m just excited to be with her in these kinds of tournaments in the future.”
Keep an eye fixed on each – and the remainder of the Czech contingent – as week one of many Australian Open kicks off.