Australian Open 2025 results: Lucky loser Eva Lys makes history by reaching fourth round
A lucky loser is a player who fails in a tournament qualifying round, but can earn a spot in the main draw if someone withdraws due to injury or illness.
Rice packed her bags and booked her flight after losing in the final round of qualifying, but a spot in the draw became available on Monday when Russia’s Kalinskaya withdrew before the first round.
Rice was receiving treatment from a physio on site when her withdrawal was announced and was given 10 minutes’ notice before she went to court to face Australian Kimberly Birrell.
Despite concerns about a lack of preparation time, she finished 6-2 6-2 and changed her flight to Sunday.
Sunday’s flight will have to change again in preparation for Monday’s match against five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek.
“Now I think after the press conference we’re going to try to change it further,” Reese said.
“It was really fun. We just picked a date. We were like: ‘Okay, Sunday is six days away. Let’s pick Sunday.’
“I’m glad we have to change that now.”
When she finally flies home, she will be at least AU$420,000 (£210,342) richer – a significant difference from the AU$50,000 (£25,300) Lys thought she would walk away with after her qualifying defeat. Said one-up career earns $798,163 (£655,413).
Rice has played in all four majors, but her best performance at a major before that was in the second round of the 2023 U.S. Open.
She is the sixth lucky loser in the Open era to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam, but the first to do so in Melbourne. No one made it past the fourth round.
“Obviously, I’m excited to get to Week 2. I feel like Week 2 has been a dream for me,” Reese added.
