By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, January 13, 2025
Facing a 3-5 third-set deficit, Emma Navarro won 16 of the last 19 points defeating Peyton Stearns 6-7, 7-6, 7-5.
Photo credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty
All American NCAA champions explored every corner of Rod Laver Arena in an epic.
In the end, Emma Navarro delivered a lesson in tennis tenacity.
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Relying on her fitness and survival skills, Navarro rallied from 3-5 down in the decider defeating Peyton Stearns 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 in a memorable Australian Open clash.
Navarro showed her staying power prevailing in a three hour, 20-minute clash to raise her three-set record to 20-9 since the start of 2024.
Facing that 3-5 hole, Navarro calmly reeled off 16 of the last 19 points against a jittery—and apparently cramping—Stearns, who served for the match at 5-4 only to see Navarro blast backhand returns to break back.
The 2024 US Open semifinalist was sweat soaked but barely breathing hard for her post-match interview with Coco Vandeweghe.
“[I feel] great,” Navarro said. “I looked at the clock and it said two and a half hours in. We were kind of in a time warp today. Crazy match.
“I was just trying to make the most of the skills I had today. She put up a really great fight. I’m just really happy to get the win and I can't wait to come out here in a couple of days.”
It’s a gut-wrenching loss for former University of Texas standout Stearns, who fell to 0-9 lifetime vs. Top 10 opponents.
This was the first time Stearns won the first set in her Top 10 meetings, she was three points from a straight-sets win in the tiebreaker and then called for the tournament doctor before serving for the match at 5-4 in the decider.
Whether it was cramps, nerves, an unerring opponent or all of the above, Stearns collapsed down the stretch and Navarro never wavered. This one will sting Stearns for a while though she showed she can be a threat even to the elite.
This is Navarro’s first Grand Slam tournament as a Top 8 seed and though her best tennis eluded her at times today her commitment to the cause as fierce.
Next up for Navarro is a second-round clash vs. powerful Chinese lefty Xiyu Wang.
The Stearns twisting topspin forehand was a ball of confusion for Navarro late in the opening set.
Pulverizing forehands corner to corner, Stearns swooped in for a superb forehand swing volley winner to draw even at deuce in the 11th game. Stearns followed up that spectacular strike, scalding forehand drives down opposite sidelines breaking for 6-5.
Serving for a one-set lead, Stearns squandered two set points, double-faulting off the tape on the second set point.
Measuring a mid-court forehand, Stearns yanked her signature shot wide to face a break point. Driving her backhand into Stearns’ weaker wing, Navarro drew a netted response breaking back to force the tiebreaker.
Though Navarro put together a five-point run, the tiebreaker was even at 5-all when Stearns asserted her forehand.
A diagonal forehand set up an inside-out forehand drive volley giving Stearns a third set point.
Stearns capped a 17-shot rally rapping a running forehand pass dipping at Navarro’s feet to close the 65-minute opener with a shout.
Stearns hit 11 more winners—20 to 9—and dictated play in the final few points of the breaker.
Navarro spent periods in the opening set targeting Stearns’ stiff-arm two-handed backhand that she sometimes floats rather than snaps.
In the second set, Stearns was managing her weaker backhand wing wisely, sometimes looping topspin into the corner, sometimes playing shorter slice, but always looking to run around the two-hander and bang her forehand.
Stearns forced errors breaking at 15 for a one-set, 2-0 lead.
Resetting, Navarro was covering the court beautifully and leaning into her two-hander crosscourt. Navarro looped a lob Stearns could not handle to break back in the third game.
A stubborn Navarro ripped one of her best forehands of the match into the corner to push Stearns into pursuit. Navarro coaxed the error to break for 4-3 as Stearns bounced her Blade off the blue court in frustration.
Tension escalated as Navarro double-faulted into tape to gift back the break in the eighth game.
The 2024 US Open semifinalist showed her class—and steely nerve—stepping into the court and driving shots into the corners in a strong hold to level after 10 games.
That determined stand inspired Navarro, who broke for 6-5 when Stearns’ forehand clipped the tape and fell wide.
To that point, Navarro exuded more positive body language. But when she missed two set points, including burying a backhand into the middle of the net, Navarro dropped her head and shoulders knowing the cost of those misses.
Navarro netted another backhand as a pumped up Stearns leaped in the air with a clenched fist forcing the second-set tiebreaker.
Seeing Navarro encroaching to attack a second serve Stearns spit up her fifth double fault ending a dramatic one hour, 12-minute set.
It was Navarro’s 29th three-setter since the start of 2024—most three-setters of any WTA player in that span—and she carried a formidable 19-9 mark in three setters into today’s decider.
Though Navarro is most experienced, a recharged Stearns lashed a forehand down the line breaking for a 2-1 third-set lead. Targeting the former Texas star’s backhand, Navarro broke right back.
Barking at her box and coach Tom Hill, Stearns drew a forehand error for the third break in a row and a 3-2 lead. Stearns sped through an emphatic love hold for 4-2.
The world No. 46 held a break point for a 5-2 lead but tightened up and bunted a backhand into net. That miss was the reprieve Navarro need to hold firm for 3-4.
Nerves restricted Navarro’s right arm as she badly botched a routine forehand into the bottom of the net. It was a miss that would make most hackers cringe and it gave Stearns a spark. Stearns won a forehand crosscourt exchange grinding out a gritty hold for 5-3.
Stearns called for the doctor for apparent cramping before she served for her first Top 10 win.
Navarro wasn’t done while Stearns was about to hit the wall.
The No. 8 seed hit some screaming backhand returns earning triple break point. When Stearns missed a backhand, Navarro broke back for 5-all after three hours and 11 minutes of high drama.
From 3-5 down, Navarro showed competitive class winning 12 of 14 points against an apparently depleted opponent for a 6-5 lead.
On her second match point, Navarro bolted a backhand down the line behind Stearns to end a 3 hour, 20-minute battle with a respectful embrace at net.