BSS
  08 Jan 2024, 17:36

Krejcikova, Badosa crash out in Adelaide first round

ADELAIDE, Australia, Jan 8, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Former French Open champion

Barbora Krejcikova and fifth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia were high-profile
casualties on day one of the ATP-WTA Adelaide International on Monday, both
crashing out to qualifiers.

Czech fourth seed Krejcikova was beaten by Russia's Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 3-6,
7-5 while Brazil's Haddad Maia met the same fate at the hands of another
Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, losing 6-3, 6-4.

"It was a great match, she's a very good fighter," the 75th-ranked Kalinskaya
said of Krejcikova, who was playing her first match of the season ahead of
the Australian Open.

"She made the match very complicated. I'm happy I won, I'm playing better
tennis every day."

Kalinskaya, who needed nearly three hours to see off her opponent, now awaits
the winner between American Claire Liu and Russian world number 15 Daria
Kasatkina.

The 59th-ranked Pavlyuchenkova, who lost to Krejcikova in the 2021 French
Open final, advanced with 29 winners, breaking Haddad Maia three times.

"I tried to follow my game plan. She's a fighter and if you give her a chance
to come back, she will," said Pavlyuchenkova.

She will next play either big-serving Karolina Pliskova or 49th-ranked
Katerina Siniakova.

Former world number two Paula Badosa was also defeated on her comeback from
injury, beaten 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 by American Bernarda Pera.

Spain's Badosa missed the second half of 2023 with a stress fracture of the
back.

Top seed Elena Rybakina, who beat reigning Australian Open champion Aryna
Sabalenka to win the Brisbane International on Sunday, had a first-round bye.

Her round of 16 opponent will be Cristina Bucsa after the Spaniard defeated
Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3.

Rain played havoc at the WTA Hobart International, but top seed Elise Mertens
safely went through, overcoming American Danielle Collins 6-2, 6-3.