Storm Hunter has come to within two games of shocking 9th seed Barbora Krejčíková, but finally went down in a valiant defeat in the third round of the Australian Open in the early hours of Saturday at Melbourne Park.
The world No 180 pushed the former French Open singles champion to her limit in the second set, but Krejčíková quelled the insurgence and prevailed 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in two and a half hours.
The defeat ended Hunter’s improbable run at Melbourne Park, which began in the qualifiers and is set to springboard her push up the singles rankings in 2024.
“It was a tough match, I really wanted to win that one and had a few chances,” she said.
“But Barbora played some really good tennis under pressure, hit some clutch serves when I had some break point opportunities.”
Hunter finished 2023 as the world’s top-ranked doubles player, but has planned a schedule this year that allows her more singles opportunities.
“Even though I didn’t get the win, this whole week has been a win for my singles,” she said.
The 29-year-old’s display in the match suggests she has the game to compete at the pointy end of the tour and Krejčíková was first to praise her performance afterwards.
“She’s doing great, she had a great run. And I mean, I’m definitely super happy that I was able to get it in a second set.”
The woman with the superhero name proved to be the kryptonite for Krejčíková in the opening exchanges. The favourite was broken three times in the first frame, producing 21 unforced errors, compared with just seven for the Australian.
But both players were struggling on serve, with five breaks in the first seven games. Hunter was first to the initiative, and the set, gesturing to Rod Laver Arena’s stands to increase the energy.
Those that stayed after Novak Djokovic’s victory over Tomás Etcheverry had reason to believe this could be a special night at Melbourne Park, and the volume lifted.
The noise seemed to jolt Krejčíková awake, and the second set played out without a single break point chance. That is, until the match’s decisive phase.
Serving at 4-4, the Czech player won the first three points, but Hunter took the next four. One more forehand winner or canny drop shot and the Australian would have had a chance to serve out the match the following game.
But a return went long, and the chance was lost. Four points later came another opportunity, denied with an ace.
“I just go point by point,” Krejčíková said afterwards. “Because I mean, everything can change in one second. It’s tennis so every single ball counts.”
She momentarily recovered, but Hunter was there again at 5-5 with two more break points. On the first, the Czech caught a line on a sweeping backhand for a winner. On the second, a Hunter return drifted long.
Again Krejčíková held. A game later she had broken the Australian for the set, and within minutes led 3-0 in a third set she would before long claim.
“I kept looking down to see if she was going to crack,” Hunter said. “And she was tough the whole way through – and to have the crowd against her as well – she came up with some good stuff.”
Krejčíková meets 16-year-old Russian sensation Mirra Andreeva in the fourth round.
