Series of firsts for Slovakia's Pohankova at the Australian Open
Home favourite Emerson Jones continues to progress in the girls’ singles at the 2025 Australian Open Junior Championships with Russian qualifier Yuliya Perapekhina – 6-3, 6-3.
Another Queenslander making waves is wildcard Tahlia Kokkinis, who saw off Qualifier Brooke Black of Great Britain 5-7 6-1 6-3 to move into the last eight – her best Junior Grand Slam performance of her career.
One more win apiece will see them – long time friends and practice partners – meet in Friday’s semi-finals.
We are now at the stage of the tournament where familiarity becomes commonplace.
Get this. On Tuesday evening Jones and Hannah Klugman put out Jeline Vandromme of Belgium and Slovakia’s Mia Pohankova in the girls’ doubles.
Vandromme had her revenge today by defeating Klugman in singles, winning 4-6 6-3 6-1, and will now face doubles partner Pohankova in the quarter-finals.
Like Vandromme, Pohankova has not previously competed at the Australian Open and today was her first media interview conducted in English.
“This is one of the biggest Grand Slams and it’s my first time in Australia also, and now my first quarter-final at a Junior Grand Slam,” she said.
“I’m super happy for that and I hope I do better.”
Pohankova today beat 14-year-old Jana Kovackova from neighbouring Czechia in the third round, 5-7 6-3, 6-1.
Despite never previously going this deep at a Junior Grand Slam before, Pohankova most certainly has pedigree having progressed along the ITF player pathway and won W75 Bratislava on the ITF World Tennis Tour Women's in October.
Jana’s elder sister, Alena, was playing no more than 20 metres away. She bowed out of the girls’ draw following a 2-6 6-1 6-1 defeat to Kirstina Penickova of the United States.
Jones remains the player to topple this, however, and comes up against Austria’s Lilli Tagger in the quarter-finals.