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Ninth-seeded Barbora Krejcikova overcame a first-set setback to post a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Mirra Andreeva on Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
In the process, Krejcikova avenged a pair of losses to Andreeva in 2023, including one at Wimbledon.
The Czech toppled the 16-year-old Russian in one hour, 59 minutes to set up a match against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. Krejcikova advanced to the quarterfinals of this tournament for the second time, having also done so in 2022.
"I'm really happy that I'm in a quarterfinal because I had really difficult matches," Krejcikova said. "To compare it with the last time, I don't really remember the last time, so I don't really remember the feelings and the emotions that I had.
"This year, it's a new year. It's a different tournament. I just go on and I just fight for every single ball."
Krejcikova rebounded from a difficult first set to record 28 winners to just 18 unforced errors over the final two sets.
The Czech won the French Open in 2021. Her only other quarterfinals appearance in a Grand Slam came in 2021 at the U.S. Open.
Sabalenka, the second seed, made quick work of American Amanda Anisimova, recording a 6-3, 6-2 win in 70 minutes.
In reaching the quarterfinals, Sabalenka has yet to drop a set and has not allowed more than three games in a set to any opponent.
"I'm super happy with the level. Happy to get this win," Sabalenka said, spotting fans wearing T-shirts that spelled out A-R-Y-N-A, pointing to them and smiling. "That's why I'm getting stronger because I enjoy the atmosphere so much."
Sabalenka has won five of six career matches against Krejcikova.
Also Sunday, American Coco Gauff rolled to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Poland's Magdalena Frech in 63 minutes.
The fourth-seeded Gauff took command in the first set, delivering eight winners to just two for Frech, who also committed 12 unforced errors.
Gauff offset a 40 percent mark in first-serve percentage by owning a second-serve, points-won percentage of 89.
Gauff said she was honored to play in Rod Laver Arena -- in front of Rod Laver himself -- and talked about the inspirational messages on her shoes that she wore in the victory.
One of the messages is "'You can change the world with your racket,'" she said, "something my dad told me since I was a little girl. And an inspiration of why I always feel like it's important to speak up and speak out about certain issues."
Gauff, 19, next fwill ace Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, who continued the trend of straight-sets victories Sunday, disposing of Maria Timofeeva of Russia, 6-2, 6-1.
Kostyuk had 19 winners and converted four of her five break points, while Timofeeva was 0-for-4 on break chances and committed 20 unforced errors.
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Carlos Alcaraz Gets Brutal US Open Draw: Why Tennis Fans Should Prepare for Drama
Well, well, well. The tennis gods have spoken, and they’ve decided to serve up some absolutely delicious chaos at the 2025 US Open. Carlos Alcaraz, fresh off his French Open triumph and that sweet Cincinnati Masters victory, just got handed what might be the most brutal draw in recent memory. And honestly? We’re here for it. Alcaraz Faces Early Mountain to Climb Let’s talk about what our Spanish sensation is up against, shall we? The 22-year-old phenom doesn’t just have to worry about his usual rivals – he’s got a potential collision course with some seriously dangerous players right from the get-go. First up, Alcaraz gets to dance with big-serving American Reilly Opelka in round one. Opelka might not be the flashiest player on tour, but when this guy’s serve clicks, he can make life absolutely miserable for anyone. At 6’11”, he’s basically a human skyscraper with a tennis racket, and Alcaraz will need to bring his A-game just to survive the opening round. But wait, there’s more! If he gets past Opelka (which, let’s be honest, he probably will), the road ahead looks like something out of a tennis nightmare. The draw could potentially pit him against former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, Toronto winner Ben Shelton, and 2022 finalist Casper Ruud – all before he even reaches the quarterfinals. Talk about earning your stripes the hard way. The Djokovic Factor: A Semifinal Showdown Brewing Here’s where things get really spicy. Alcaraz and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic landed in the same half of the draw, setting up an absolutely electric semifinal clash. And let’s be real – this isn’t just any potential matchup. This is tennis royalty meeting the new king in what could be one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament. Djokovic, who’s been relatively quiet since his Wimbledon semifinal run five weeks ago, opens against NextGen player Learner Tien. The Serbian legend might be 38, but counting him out would be like betting against gravity – it’s just not happening. He leads their head-to-head 5-3, including that brutal four-set victory in this year’s Australian Open quarterfinals that probably still gives Alcaraz nightmares. Sinner Sits Pretty in the Other Half Meanwhile, defending champion and current World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is probably somewhere laughing into his pasta. The Italian gets what looks like a much more manageable path to the final, starting with Czech player Vit Kopriva – and honestly, good for him after the absolute war zone that is the other half of the draw. Sinner’s biggest potential threat before the semifinals appears to be third seed Alexander Zverev, who starts against Alejandro Tabilo. The German has been knocking on the door of Grand Slam success for years, but something tells us he’d rather avoid the chaos happening on the other side of the bracket. What This Means for Tennis Fans Look, we’ve seen some wild draws before, but this one feels different. The tennis scheduling gods have essentially guaranteed that we’re going to lose at least one major star before the final weekend. Either Alcaraz or Djokovic won’t make it to the championship match, which honestly feels like a crime against tennis entertainment. But here’s the thing – this brutal draw might actually be exactly what Alcaraz needs. The kid’s been coasting on talent and that infectious smile for a while now, but nothing builds character quite like having to claw your way through a murderer’s row of opponents. If he can navigate this gauntlet and make it to the final, he’ll have earned every bit of respect that comes with it. The Bottom Line: Buckle Up, Tennis Fans This US Open draw reads like someone took all the biggest names in tennis, threw them in a blender, and decided to see what happens. Alcaraz might have gotten the short end of the stick, but that’s what makes tennis beautiful – on any given day, anyone can beat anyone. Will the young Spaniard rise to the occasion and prove he belongs among the all-time greats? Or will this brutal draw claim another victim in the endless march of tennis drama? One thing’s for sure – we’re about to find out, and it’s going to be absolutely unmissable. The tournament kicks off on August 24, and if this draw is any indication, we’re in for two weeks of pure tennis chaos. Grab your popcorn, folks – this is going to be fun.
Steelers have major injury concern leaving preseason
The No. 1 priority for NFL teams in the preseason is to get out of the games without major injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have failed with that one on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, the team's first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, had to be carted to the locker room with a knee injury while also looking visibly upset as he was taken back. The team announced almost immediately that he would be out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin provided an update after the game: Defensive line was a top priority for the Steelers this offseason, especially after their playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens where they allowed nearly 300 rushing yards to end their season. Along with Harmon, they also selected Iowa's Yahya Black in this year's class to help try to beef up their line. Harmon is expected to play a major role in this year's defense and was already in a starting position. With star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward holding in as he tries to get a new contract from the team, that puts even more importance on Harmon's ability to make an impact. He has had a strong training camp, and after a quiet first preseason game, he really took a big leap forward in the team's second game, recording a sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Heyward returns, and if Harmon's injury is not serious, the Steelers would have the potential to have a really strong defensive line with those two joining rising star Keeanu Benton. Right now, though, those are a lot of "ifs," especially as it relates to the availability for Heyward and Harmon for the team's season opener.
Giants rookie shines again, completing promising preseason
Preseason football can produce some misleading results, but the New York Giants have to be ecstatic with what they have seen from first-round pick quarterback Jaxson Dart so far. He impressed again on Thursday night against the New England Patriots, before being removed from the game to be evaluated for a concussion. The Giants said he cleared the concussion protocol. Prior to that, however, Dart was showing all of his skills in leading the Giants offense. While his final stat line only shows a 6-for-12 passing performance for 81 yards, some of those incompletions were passes that could — and, perhaps, should — have been caught. He did not get a lot of help from his wide receivers. Even so, he still completed a 50-yard pass to Gunner Olszewski, and then connected with Greg Dulcich for a touchdown on a laser of a pass. Along with the passing, Dart also showed off his ability to run with a 23-yard gain. The only downside to that run, however, is that it ended his night when his head hit the ground, resulting in him leaving the game to be evaluated for the potential concussion. Dart does not figure to be in serious competition for the starting job as veteran Russell Wilson seems to have that locked down, at least for now. But Dart has done everything he can in the preseason to show that he has the ability to play at the NFL level. Including his performance on Thursday, he leaves the preseason having completed 32-of-47 passes for 372 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and also ran six times for 52 yards and a touchdown. It is hard for a rookie to do better than that in their first look in the NFL. The Giants have been searching for a long-term quarterback solution ever since Eli Manning retired and have gone through a revolving door of bad options. They are hoping Dart can finally put an end to that for the foreseeable future. There is still a long way to go before he gets to that level, but he has certainly made a great first impression.
Browns 'trust' Dillon Gabriel more than Shedeur Sanders for a very good reason
The Cleveland Browns seemed to say plenty regarding their feelings about rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders when they repeatedly listed Gabriel above Sanders on unofficial depth charts throughout August. Sanders played well in Cleveland's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8 when Gabriel was recovering from a hamstring injury. Gabriel then received his opportunity to shine in the Aug. 16 preseason matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles when Sanders was dealing with an oblique issue. For a piece published on Thursday, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic suggested that the stats from those contests show "the Browns trust Gabriel more than they do Sanders" heading into their Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. "The Browns used pre-snap motion 45 percent of the time with Gabriel against the Philadelphia Eagles," Lloyd wrote. "They used it 31 percent of the time in Sanders’ game against the Carolina Panthers, according to TruMedia data. On third downs, that increased to 63 percent for Gabriel and plummeted to 18 percent for Sanders." The Browns selected Gabriel in the third round of this year's draft before they made a trade to take a flier on Sanders at overall pick No. 144. Against the Panthers, Sanders completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. To compare, Gabriel connected on 13-of-18 passes for 143 yards with a pick-six against the Eagles. He was also credited with a lost fumble. "Gabriel was three of four on [tight-window throws] against the Eagles, according to NextGen Stats, and two of those turned third downs into first downs," Lloyd added. "Sanders was zero for four on tight-window throws against the Panthers." It's worth noting that none of this matters as of publication. Veteran Joe Flacco will serve as Cleveland's Week 1 starter, and the Browns seem serious about having Flacco, Gabriel, Sanders and backup Kenny Pickett on the active roster through at least a portion of the upcoming season. The trade deadline will arrive on Nov. 4. Lloyd mentioned that "a fear that Sanders may develop elsewhere" is a reason the Browns are holding onto the former Colorado star when they prefer Gabriel. As of now, Sanders is on track to continue his development while working in the Browns film room as an unused quarterback throughout the fall.
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