By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
SAIPAN’S Carol Young Suh Lee saw her historic Australian Open journey come to an end Thursday after falling in a three-set battle against No. 20 seed Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic in the final qualifying round at Melbourne Park in Australia.
The opening set saw WTA No. 209 Lee control the pace through much of the back-and-forth action, refusing to be intimidated by Fruhvirtova’s higher ranking and experience. The two traded blows in a high-stakes baseline battle, with several lead changes before reaching a 5-5 deadlock.
Lee remained composed in the critical moments, and after a grueling 12-game set, she secured a decisive break to take the opener 7-5, generating a surge of excitement as she seized the advantage.
Fruhvirtova, a seasoned competitor, adjusted her strategy in the second set. Despite the early setback, she found greater depth on her groundstrokes and capitalized on a slight dip in Lee’s first-serve percentage, winning the first three games. Although Lee closed the gap to 2-4, Fruhvirtova’s early break allowed her to maintain pressure and cruise to a 6-2 win, forcing a decisive third set.
A battle of attrition
The final set showcased Lee’s grit, resilience, and high-level shot-making — attributes that defined her entire tournament run. Trailing late, she fought off multiple match points with aggressive play, including a stunning winner to keep her hopes alive at 4-5.
However, Fruhvirtova’s relentless defense eventually wore Lee down. In the final game, Fruhvirtova broke Lee’s serve one last time to clinch the match 6-4 in a marathon contest lasting two hours and 50 minutes, eliminating Lee while securing her place in the main draw.
Despite the loss, Lee’s performance over the past week rewrote the record books for Pacific Oceania tennis, bringing her within one set of becoming the first player from the Pacific region to reach a Grand Slam main draw in the modern era.
While the scoreboard shows a defeat, the 2026 Australian Open will be remembered as a major breakthrough for Lee. Her path to the final qualifying round included a gritty three-set comeback victory over Belgium’s Hanne Vandewinkel, followed by a dominant straight-sets win against Australia’s Elena Micic, before ultimately falling to Fruhvirtova.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
