Barbora Krejcikova knocks out Victoria Azarenka in straight sets

Barbora Krejcikova clenches her fist during her straight-set match with Victoria Azarenka at the Australian Open. 

Barbora Krejcikova was as strong as a stone and let it show at the Australian Open Sunday. The fourth-seeded Czech powerhouse dispatched Victoria Azarenka, who battled more than her tennis opponent in a 6-2, 6-2 straight sets score on Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park. The Belorussian suffered a neck injury that took a lot away from her strength. 

The Belorussian has had the easiest run at the Australian Open than any first week she has ever played in. Wins over Udvardy, Teichmann, and 15^th seed Svitolina left her with only nine games lost combined. Her biggest challenge stood in the reigning French Open champion, who dispatched the 2017 champ in three sets to make the last 16. It marked the second time the Czech met Azarenka, going back to Ostrava two years ago. They managed to go three sets but with indoor hard court settings, conditions would be much different. 

Krejcikova chose to receive and watched her opponent score a pair of winners and an ace to serve to love. The Czech didn’t have a comfortable opening as the Belorussian pushed her far out of the court to set up the smashes that forced deuce. They went two breaks until a wide return from Azarenka gave Krejcikova the much-needed win. The fourth seed worked really hard for the break and forced deuce to get there. She denied the 32-year-old an AD point and produced two of her own which resulted in her opponent swing and missing the ball. 

It looked as if Krejcikova was going to take her momentum and run away with the set. After the fourth game, the Belorussian sealed up a hold to stay within a game. Krejcikova continued to be at her tip-top best and held serve while keeping the pressure on the two-time champ. Azarenka struggled to get into the ball and suffered another break that put the Czech in position to serve for the set. Azarenka was trying to be aggressive, but her shots were sitting pretty. She went down in 38 minutes as another one of her returns fall long from the baseline. 

The former world number one erred 12 times despite having nine aces in what was a near-even game despite the momentum. Krejcikova got another game under her belt right after the 24^th seed called the trainer for a neck issue. After the medical timeout, the second game for rolling with Krejcikova on serve. She scored back-to-back aces but witnessed a surge from Azarenka, who pressed to a breakpoint chance. Krejcikova got it to deuce and on the second break, got it on a wide crosscourt from the 32-year-old. 

Despite an immense amount of pain in her neck, Azarenka fought to hold serve in the third before having the trainer come back during the changeover. With some relief coming to her, she came into the fourth scoring a triple breakpoint. One of them got away from her on a return into the net and a second long of the baseline. Her last breakpoint held as Krejcikova returned into the net bringing the score to two-all. 

The change was coming for the Belorussian, who limited the strains to her neck and focused on the service game. It turned out to be a struggle for Azarenka, who erred too much and handed the break to the fourth seed. The 32-year-old received further treatment on her neck before Krejcikova served to back up the previous game. She pinpointed her shots to Azarenka before scoring the shutout. 

The Czech eyed the double break and had three breakpoints in the seventh, but a rush from the 24^th seed forced deuce. It all went south as an error and a double fault made it 5-2 for Krejcikova, who served in the eighth for a spot in the last eight. Remaining strong and focused, the 26-year-old watched the errors from Azarenka fall on her side. Despite getting a point, it was all in the hands of the fourth seed, who took two match points and watched a shot go into the net and win in 1 hour and 24 minutes.