Australian Open | Czech teen Fruhvirtova downs Vondrousova to reach 4th round
The Hindu
At 17 years and 273 days, Fruhvirtova is the youngest woman remaining in the draw
Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova marched into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday, January 21, 2023, with a battling 7-5 2-6 6-3 victory over compatriot Marketa Vondrousova.
At 17 years and 273 days, Fruhvirtova is the youngest woman remaining in the draw. Playing in only her second Grand Slam main draw, Fruhvirtova showed extraordinary composure to rally from 3-1 down in the decider and beat her more fancied opponent.
Vondrousova has struggled to replicate the form that helped her reach the 2019 Roland Garros final but the 23-year-old had looked set for a deep run in Melbourne after beating second seed second seed Ons Jabeur in the last round.
World number 82 Fruhvirtova, who won her first WTA title in Chennai in September, had other plans, however, and held her nerve in the third set to set up a meeting with Croatian Donna Vekic.
Asian Games champion Avinash Sable opened his season in the 3000m steeple chase with a silver in the Portland Track Festival, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Oregon on Saturday. He clocked 8:21.85s. Asian champion Parul Chaudhary took the bronze in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in a season-best 9:31.38s. Former Asian bronze medallist Sanjivani Jadhav struck gold in the women’s 10,000m in 32:22.77s, a time which was a second off her personal best, while Seema was sixth in 32:55.91s.