Persistent Emma Navarro edges out Peyton Starns in three-set thriller

Emma Navarro survives a disaster after defeating Peyton Stearns 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 in the Australian Open first round. The world No. 8 was on the brink of defeat but managed to prevail against an opponent who knew how to complicate things for her.

The match was marked by mistakes from both players. Despite combining for 77 winners, they also totaled 118 unforced errors—a combined figure over 50% higher than their winners total.

Navarro seals comeback win 

In the first set, both players held serve well and exchanged breaks in the fifth and sixth games, each converting their only chance. Stearns broke again in the eleventh game to lead 6-5 and had two set points on her serve but squandered both, allowing Navarro to push the set into a tiebreak.

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Stearns managed a key minibreak to win the tiebreak 7-6(5) in a set defined by mistakes—Navarro committing 19 unforced errors and Stearns 21. However, Stearns was more efficient, hitting 20 winners compared to Navarro’s 9.

The second set initially seemed to favour Stearns, who broke early and quickly established a 2-0 lead. However, Navarro responded with a break of her own, gaining momentum and confidence. The set remained tight, ultimately decided by another tiebreak where Navarro took advantage of inconsistent serving from both players to level the match.

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The third set turned into a rollercoaster, featuring break points in most games. Stearns held the lead for much of the set and reached a 5-3 advantage, seemingly on the brink of victory. However, Navarro raised her level in the crucial moments, winning 16 of the last 18 points and claiming four consecutive games to secure a remarkable 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 victory.

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