Barbora Krejcikova gets title defense off to stuttering start
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LIGHTWEIGHT SERVE
With Eala also starting to lose her radar and with her lightweight serve being punished, the champion swept to a 5-0 lead and took the set 6-2.
Krejcikova grabbed an early break in the third with pounding returns and though Eala had an immediate breakback opportunity, she could not take it and quickly trailed 3-0.
It was relatively straightforward from then, as a tired-looking Eala's error-count rose and Krejcikova raced home in ever-more confident style.
Krejcikova was quick to credit her opponent.
'I mean, what the hell she played in the first set?,' she said. 'She was smashing the ball and cleaning the lines, so wow, wow. She's going to be really good in a couple of years.'
Krejcikova said she was 'super happy' to even be back to defend her title after a back injury ruled her out of the Australian Open and a thigh problem curtailed her grasscourt build up.
'Definitely six months ago I was in a lot of pain with my back and I didn't really know how my career was going to go,' she said.
'So I'm super-excited that I can be here and that I can play and that I can play on such a great court.'
She said she also took time before the match to inspect the trophy, with her name engraved from last year.
'I was definitely enjoying the moment,' she said. 'Having that opportunity, that I can see my name there and that I can see the trophy and that I can just enter such a beautiful court, such a beautiful venue — it's super, super special.'
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