"I had 15 minutes": German tennis player Eva Lys on how she continued in the Aus Open after being eliminated
Yasmine Green
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
German tennis player Eva Lys got the chance to continue competing at the Australian Open despite having been eliminated in the qualifiers. This situation became possible thanks to the rule allowing one of the eliminated players to return if another participant withdraws from the tournament, reports Bild.
Lys’s lucky break came after the 13th seed, Anna Kalinskaya, withdrew from the competition. The German made the most of her opportunity, defeating Kalinskaya's intended opponent, Kim Birrell, to secure a spot in the second round.
“I was at physiotherapy. Then, over the loudspeaker, there was an announcement asking me to contact the office. They told me I had to report to the tournament supervisor within 15 minutes, or they’d call the next candidate,” Lys explained.
Despite the nerves and slight panic, the athlete managed to pull herself together and claim victory, making the most of her unexpected second chance.
Another pleasant bonus for Lys was the increase in her tournament earnings. After her qualifier elimination, she was set to earn €43,500, but with her continued participation, her prize money has now increased to at least €120,000.
