On Thursday (January 12), 15-year-old Czech prodigy Brenda Fruhvirtova became the youngest qualifier to reach the Australian Open main draw.
On Thursday, Fruhvirtova defeated Jessica BouzasManeiro 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4. The Czech teenager had defeated NatalijaKostic and Daria Snigur in qualifying.
The World No. 135 is the fifth-youngest Australian Open qualifier at 15 years and nine months. At 15 years and five months, Marta Kostyuk is the youngest qualifier to join the main draw, followed by SesilKaratantcheva, Maria Sharapova, and Lina Krasnoroutskaya.
Martina Hingis became the youngest player to qualify for the Australian Open main event at 14 years and 3 months in 1995. In 1983, 14-year-old Steffi Graf did the same.
Brenda Fruhvirtova joins her older sister Linda in the main draw. The 17-year-old Czech, the youngest player in the top 100, will play Melbourne native JaimeeFourlis in her first-round match.
Since 2017, both sisters have trained at Southern France’s Mouratoglou Academy, where they are regarded top prospects. The younger sister has won eight ITF clay titles, all last year.
Brenda Fruhvirtova almost escaped her second qualifying round.
Brenda Fruhvirtova stunned Daria Snigur in her second qualifying-round encounter on Wednesday. Snigur defeated Simona Halep in the 2022 US Open first round.
After 2 hours and 14 minutes, the Czech prevailed 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-3 after trailing 5-1. Four times she was two points from defeat.
Fruhvirtova, who made her WTA circuit debut at the 2022 Abierto Zapopan, rallied with powerful defensive strokes to neutralise Snigur’s broad range of shots.
Fruhvirtova beat the Ukrainian 104-102 to stay in the tournament. She had no idea she would make history the next day.
