Osaka eases through in the spotlight while Krejcikova stays under the radar

As the sunlight slowly began to fade on Wednesday in Melbourne Park, two of the top women’s players were holding fort on two most prominent courts across the grounds. On Rod Laver Arena, the night session was all but filled to its capped attendance as the crowd watched Naomi Osaka continue her comeback with a 6-0, 6-4 win over the USA’s Madison Brengle.

But next door, only a smattering of fans had hung around for the end of the day session on Margaret Court Arena to watch as Barbora Krejcikova, the fourth seed, picked apart Wang Xiyu of China 6-2, 6-3 to move on to the third round.

Despite the best efforts of Wang, a talented 20-year-old with a wicked lefty serve, many of Krejcikova’s vast talents were on show. Her hooked topspin forehand, one of the standout shots in the women’s game, commanded most exchanges and she continually changed direction of the ball, spreading it to every part of the court. Meanwhile, she demonstrated her comprehensive toolbox of shots with her volleys, sharp angles and backhand slice.

While she may not receive the attention reserved for more prominent players on the women’s tour, Krejcikova is quietly one of the stories of women’s tennisnow. Two years ago, she was ranked outside the top 120 when she won her first grand slam main draw match at the 2020 Australian Open as a qualifier. Until that point, she had spent her career humbly trying to become a top 100 player.

That she became the French Open singles champion within 18 months was a shocking feat in itself, but one of the great revelations of the past eight months has been how she has backed up those two glorious weeks in Paris. Krejcikova compiled a 29-4 record across the spring and summer, winning three titles, and her form has only