"They’ll have to destroy the place to try and find it" - Barbora Krejcikova's first round win against Victoria Mboko delayed due to racquet malfunction

There was a bizarre incident that occurred in the first round tie between Victoria Mboko and Barbora Krejcikova, after a small vibration dampener flew off the Czech's racquet midway through the match, causing confusion.

She hit an overhead at the beginning of the second set, but it was not just the ball that flew off the racquet. It caused a slight delay in the US Open match when there was a hunt for the small white object. Even her Canadian opponent decided to help, desperate to get on with proceedings. It is utilised on tennis rackets to absorb the vibrations from the flying balls coming her way, making it easier to return the ball.

Krejcikova went to the side of the court to hunt the small white object down, but did not have much luck. She soon received help from Mboko and chair umpire Aurelie Tourte, but despite the aid was unable to seek it out.

Naomi Cavaday was watching the confusing scenes from a distance, and on Sky Sports said: “She’s hit it so low down, she’s lost the vibration dampener. This is a game we’ve all played, find the vibration dampener. It’s flown out of the strings.” One of the members of her team seemed to have located the item from the stands, noted by Cavaday. “Somebody can see it. I think someone in her camp can see exactly where it is.

“Victoria is joining in the game. You’ve got to get down at ground level guys, scan across, you’ll see a bump. They can get in any corner. They’ll have to destroy the place to try and find it. Rip up the floor.”

Fortunately, they did not have to destroy the iconic stadium, to the relief of everyone, Tourte found the dampener, and the tie could continue.

The 2024 Wimbledon champion has not had everything go her way in recent months. After an extended period on the sidelines due to injury, she has endured a tricky return to the sport as she tumbled down the rankings due to a disappointing Wimbledon campaign, where she failed to go past the third round. The Czech entered the US Open with a chance to get back on track, nut was faced with a challenging prospect in her first round match.

Mboko has enjoyed a breakout season. She qualified for both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, where she won three games in the two major competitions. These triumphs were overshadowed by her impressive showing at the Canadian Open. Entered as a wildcard, she went all the way to the final, beating the likes of Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina ahead of a three-set win over four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka to win her first WTA title. She cannoned up the rankings up to the world number 24, after starting the year down in 333rd. The 18-year-old went into the US Open as a dark horse for many, but ultimately failed to get past the first hurdle.

Krejcikova started and ended the first set with a break of throw, sealing the first set with her second opportunity. Mboko missed two chances to break back and was punished by the 29-year-old. She then carried on her positive momentum, overcoming the delay due to the missing dampener to take a commanding 3-0 lead. She went on to claim her third match point to send her through to the second round of the US Open for the fourth time in five visits to Flushing Meadows. She targets her best result of a quarter-final back in her debut in New York in 2021.