Krejcikova battles back against rising star Eala to win Wimbledon opener
Two-time Grand Slam champion Krejcikova has endured a difficult time since defeating Italy's Jasmine Paolini in the final last year.
The 29-year-old was out of action until May after suffering a back injury and lost in the second round of the recent French Open.
Krejcikova pulled out of last week's Eastbourne Open before the quarter-finals with a thigh problem and had played just six matches this year before Tuesday's contest against Eala.
"I was in a lot of pain in my back and I didn't really know how my career was going to go," she said. "I'm super happy and super excited that I can be here and that I can play on such a great court."
She added: "I was really, really excited for this day and before the match I was really counting every minute to the time when the match is coming up.
"Then when I walked from the locker room down here in the stands to the ground, it's just very nice and very special, a special moment.
"Having that opportunity that I can see my name there and that I can see the trophy."
Eala, a finalist on the grass at Eastbourne last week, broke Krejcikova twice in the first set to take an early grip on the match, producing a succession of fizzing deep groundstrokes.
The rusty Krejcikova made 19 unforced errors in an untidy display, struggling to find rhythm with her ball toss.
But the 2024 champion quickly gained a foothold in the second set and raced into a 5-0 lead, going on to level the match as she cut her error count drastically.
The world number 16 stayed in the groove in the decider, wrapping up the match with a powerful backhand down the line.
Eala, ranked 56th in the world, in Eastbourne became the first Filipina to reach a WTA final and Krejcikova praised her for her stunning display in the first set.
"Wow, it's a next generation coming," she said. "She's going to come up and she's going be really good in a couple of years."
© 2025 AFP
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