Shrewsbury World Tour champion Marketa Vondrousova beats a top seed at Australian Open

Pictured: Marketa Vondrousova, who beat second seed Ons Jabeur to reach the third round of the Australian Open, won both the singes and doubles titles at The Shrewsbury Club’s ITF World Tennis Tour event in November. Picture: Richard Dawson Photography.

Czech Republic tennis star Marketa Vondrousova, the singles and doubles champion at The Shrewsbury Club’s ITF World Tennis Tour event in November, is now hitting the headlines at the Australian Open. Vondrousova, 23, yesterday beat second seed Ons Jabeur, a Wimbledon finalist last year, to secure a place in the third round of the women’s singles in Melbourne.  

Vondrousova impressed Shropshire tennis fans with her excellent performances in the Budgen Motors W100 Shrewsbury tournament. Ukraine ace Anhelina Kalinina - who lost to Vondrousova in the semi-finals in Shrewsbury - is also through to the last 32 of this year’s first Grand Slam after impressively beating Petra Kvitova 7-5, 6-4. Vondrousova - a French Open finalist in 2019 and currently ranked 86 in the world - delivered a fine display to beat Jabeur 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena and will next face fellow Czech player Linda Fruhvirtova.

Vondrousova’s memorable week in Shrewsbury saw her beat Eva Lys in the singles final in front of a capacity crowd of more than 500 at the Sundorne Road venue. More success quickly followed when Vondrousova partnered Miriam Kolodziejova to victory in the doubles final. They have renewed their partnership to compete in the women’s doubles at the Australian Open.

Dave Courteen, The Shrewsbury Club’s managing director, said: "It’s all part of the excitement of having big events at The Shrewsbury Club that when Grand Slams come along it provides added interest in following the players that have recently played in Shrewsbury. Marketa Vondrousova played at The Shrewsbury Club in November and now just a few weeks later she's not only playing on the main courts at the Australian Open, but has beaten Ons Jabeur, the second seed.

"It just proves once more what quality tennis we enjoy in Shrewsbury when we host these prestigious events. It's very exciting that she’s quickly turned the success she had in Shrewsbury by winning both the singles and doubles titles into success at the Australian Open. It’s also very pleasing to see Anhelina Kalinina, who was the top seed for The Shrewsbury Club tournament, also playing so well in Melbourne. It was an excellent victory against Petra Kvitova to reach the third round.”

Kalinina, 25, who is currently ranked 39 in the world, will now play Barbora Krejcikova from the Czech Republic in the last 32.