Emma Navarro advances to the third round after a thrilling win over Xiyu Wang at the Australian Open

On By Littum

MELBOURNE, Australia (WCIV) — Emma Navarro continued his stay in Melbourne and won in the second round of the Australian Open in another match that went three sets.

Navarro won 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 over Xiyu Wangfrom China, in a third set that featured an impressive rally back, where the no. 8-seeded Charleston local found its footing in crunch time.

“I was able to find something there eventually,” Navarro said. “It was really tough the whole time. I knew it was going to be like that. I was ready to handle it. And I found some good tennis there at the end.”

Navarro, fresh off one of the Australian Open’s finest first-round matches against American Peyton Stearns, appeared to jump on Wang, a lefty, early in the match. With a decisive win in the first set, it looked like Navarro would be out for another three hours and 20 minutes. Still, this fight went a long way.

READ MORE | “Emma Navarro Survives First-Round Scare Against Peyton Stearns at Australian Open.”

In the second set, Wang found her footing and used her power to win by a wide margin, sending the match to the decisive third.

Wang won the first two games of the second set and held Navarro to a tie. Then the momentum shifted, with Navarro winning two games in a row to tie the score at 2-2.

Navarro’s challenger would take a two-game lead, her final of the match, as the 2024 tennis star won four straight games to take the final set.

“I’m pretty laid back naturally,” Navarro said when asked how she kept fighting back. “Nerves and emotions, I work all the way around the court. I keep most of it inside. But I’m quite laid back.”

READ MORE | “Monfils tops Frenchman in all-time Australian Open 1st round match.”

Navarro faced Wang in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open and defeated her in three sets. She would go on to lose that tournament in the third round – where she stands today after two back-to-back thrilling victories.

The 23-year-old star is now moving on to play Wed Jabeurfrom Tunisia, who turned pro in 2010. Jabeur’s most recent wins are over Anhelina Kalinina and Camila Osorio in straight sets.

The match in the third round will be played on Friday 17 January.