Tennis-Lucky loser Lys enjoying 'life-changing' run at Australian Open

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 18, 2025 Germany's Eva Lys in action during her third round match against Romania's Jaqueline Cristian REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Had it not been for Anna Kalinskaya's last-minute withdrawal at the Australian Open, Eva Lys would probably be on the road to her next tournament after losing in the third round of the qualifying event at Melbourne Park.

Instead, the German "lucky loser" is now looking forward to a fourth-round meeting with second seed Iga Swiatek at the year's first Grand Slam after coming through a 4-6 6-3 6-3 win over Romania's Jaqueline Cristian on Saturday.