Jeopardy!‘s Champions Wildcard run has officially come to an end as finalists Mehal Shah, Drew Goins, and Will Yancey went head-to-head for the grand prize of $100,000 and a coveted spot in the Tournament of Champions.
So, who reigned supreme? The game was Drew or Mehal’s to lose as Will trailed behind their scores for most of the competition, but despite Drew’s marginal lead at the end of Double Jeopardy, it didn’t seem to be a match for Mehal’s impressive run as he scored big with the game’s final Daily Double clue.
When entering Final Jeopardy, the point breakdown was Will with 3,600, Drew with 10,200, and Mehal with a staggering 19,000. The clue for the round in the category “Composers,” read, “‘Troll Hill’ is the name of his country home, the grounds of which include a concert hall & a lakeside cabin where he worked.”
Jeopardy!, Inc.
The correct response was “Who was Grieg?” In the end, none of the players provided the correct response, but Mehal wagered zero points, while Will and Drew ended the game with zero. Combined with their scores from the previous game, the final breakdown was Will with 5,600, Drew with 17,600, and Mehal with 46,200.
That means Mehal was the Champions Wildcard winner, earning him the $100,000 prize and a spot in the Tournament of Champions. The software engineer from Seattle, Washington took time to thank those closest to him onReddit, commenting, “We had to be brief when thanking people in the finals, but I sure don’t have to be brief here. So here’s everyone that I want to thank that I didn’t get to,” Mehal began.
He went on to thank Adam Hersch, Grant DeYoung, his fellow competitors, teachers, James Holzhauer, Josh Allen, his daughter, wife, coworkers, and “Anyone who ever worked on Microsoft Excel.”
When Mehal thanked his wife, he wrote, “When I first got the call, I wasn’t sure if I could do it – we have an energetic toddler and a son on the way in a few months. She’s never been anything shy of 110% for this goal and believed in me even when I didn’t. I know she has some big life goals for her future, and I look forward to supporting her the way that she’s supported me.”
See Mehal’s full comment, below, and let us know what you think of the Champions Wildcard results in the comments section, below.
After a thrilling battle of wits and knowledge, ‘Jeopardy!’s Champions Wildcard has been crowned! But the burning question remains: who will secure a spot in the prestigious Tournament of Champions?
Join us as we delve into the final showdown, revealing the ultimate winner and speculating on which contestant will go on to compete against the best of the best in the upcoming Tournament of Champions. Stay tuned for all the excitement and drama as we await the reveal of the next ‘Jeopardy!’ champion! #JeopardyWildcard #TournamentofChampions #TriviaTuesday
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Entrenched in the Eastern Conference wild-card race, the Rangers are making their push.
A 5-0 rout of the Senators on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden extended their season-best point streak to nine games. The win not only bumped the Blueshirts up to just two points out of the second wild-card spot, but it also prevented Ottawa, currently occupying the first spot, from widening their lead.
Every time the Rangers have stepped on the ice since the new year began, a big-game aura has followed.
The Rangers celebrate Alexis Lafreniere’s goal in the first period of their 5-0 win over the Senators on Jan. 21, 2025. Robert Sabo for New York Post
That’s what happens when your season reaches the brink of ruin and you’re fighting to make up for it.
Though the Rangers have rather consistently answered the call in these high-stakes contests, and it’s allowed them to bulldoze their way back into contention after their season was all but dead in the water.
“Defensively, I think one of the best games of the season,” goalie Igor Shesterkin said after making 20 saves to extend his shutout streak to 164:43, following a 1-0 win over the Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Tuesday night was a gritty win by the Rangers, who stayed the course despite having two goals called back through the first two periods.
This all against a Senators team that had won five of its past six games entering the matchup.
The shutout victory counted as the Rangers’ second in the past three games, as well as their fifth of the season, and the fifth time in Shesterkin’s career he has had back-to-back shutouts.
Igor Shesterkin guards the net as Ottawa’s Ridly Greig looks to get off a shot during the Rangers’ shutout win over the Senators. Robert Sabo for New York Post
The Rangers were scoreless and then had a 2-0 lead when Ottawa successfully challenged for offside both times, the first an early goal from Sam Carrick and the second a snipe from Arthur Kaliyev.
Instead of letting frustration play out on the ice, they continued to push offensively and were rewarded for it.
After Kaliyev made it a 2-0 game less than two minutes into the middle frame, the Rangers fended off back-to-back power plays from the Senators to take the lead into the third.
Will Cuylle (50) scores a goal during the third period of the Rangers’ blowout win over the Senators on Jan. 21, 2025. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Adam Edstrom then fed Matt Rempe, who flicked a backhander past Ottawa goalie Anton Forsberg to kick off a three-goal final frame for the Blueshirts.
“You’re thinking in the back of your head it’s one of those nights,” head coach Peter Laviolette said of the pair of overturned goals. “But our guys were just really focused. I thought the work was really good.”
A fracas that broke out after Brady Tkachuk barreled into Shesterkin pumped some adrenaline into the game, but only the home team cashed in on it.
After Shesterkin went after Tkachuk for the infraction and the Rangers earned a power play, Michael Amadio knocked the star Russian goalie down behind his net to force the Senators to defend five-on-three for 33 seconds.
Artemi Panarin then ripped his 20th goal of the season short side on Forsberg for the 4-0 lead before Will Cuylle capitalized with the five-on-four edge shortly after.
“I just got a couple punches from Tkachuk,” Shesterkin said. “To be honest, this was [from his] hit on me. Not really enjoy that, because I was between the pipe and him. I didn’t want to jump there, but I saw he get [inaudible] on a fight between our guy and their guy, so I just tried to hold him, but he wanted to fight. It’s tough for me because I cannot drop my gloves. If I do that, I will go to locker room.”
The New York Rangers took a giant step closer to securing a wild-card spot in the playoffs after a dominant performance against the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers came out firing on all cylinders, scoring early and often to secure a decisive victory.
The offensive firepower of the Rangers was on full display, with goals coming from all corners of the lineup. Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad all found the back of the net, while goaltender Igor Shesterkin stood tall in net, making key saves to preserve the lead.
With this win, the Rangers now sit just a few points out of a wild-card spot, putting themselves in prime position to make a late-season push for the playoffs. The team’s confidence is sky-high, and they are playing some of their best hockey of the season at just the right time.
Fans are buzzing with excitement as the Rangers continue to climb the standings and inch closer to a postseason berth. With momentum on their side, the Rangers are a team to watch as they make a strong push for playoff contention.
Jeopardy! fan favorite Drew Goins chalked up another runaway victory on Monday’s (January 20) Champions Wildcard semifinal, but many viewers are fuming because they couldn’t watch the episode due to Donald Trump‘s inauguration.
The episode saw Goins returning to the Alex Trebek Stage alongside fellow semifinalists Joey DeSena and Jen Feldman. Fans had been highly anticipating the match-up due to Goins’ impressive run through the Second Chance tournament and the Champions Wildcard quarterfinals.
However, many networks across the United States chose not to air the episode, instead providing coverage of President Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C. This led to frustration among Jeopardy! fans, as they weren’t previously warned that the episode would be preempted.
“I literally spent all day avoiding news about the inauguration only for it to f*** my nightly routine and the one thing I was looking forward to,” wrote on user on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum.
“It got preempted halfway through on the NBC channel we watch on,” said another.
“I was so looking forward to this all day. I audibly shouted when I saw what I saw instead of these lovely contestants,” another added.
One X user wrote, “What a lousy Monday 7PM #jeopardy peeps. The brain exercise is preempted.”
“I was already bummed about today for obvious reasons but now it feels personal,” added another.
“Talking heads keeping us from having 30 minutes of freedom from political craziness,” another said.
As with previous games, Goins got off to a quick start, answering an impressive 14 clues in the opening round to give him a solid lead of $7,200 over Feldman’s $2,400 and DeSena’s $800.
Goins continued to rack up correct responses in Double Jeopardy, though Feldman found the first Daily Double for a sizable $5,000. However, Goins landed on the second Daily Double, making an educated guess and snagging $4,000 for a total of $26,800, just enough for a runaway heading into Final Jeopardy.
Host Ken Jennings then read out the final clue, “A U.S. Navy website says its journey from New London to Norway in 1957 opened up Arctic waters previously ruled by the Soviets.”
Only DeSena answered correctly with the USS Nautilus, but it didn’t matter, as Goins (who wagered $0) had already secured his spot in the Champions Wildcard finals, where he’ll now be hoping to win and land a spot in the Tournament of Champions.
Did you get to see Monday’s episode of Jeopardy? What did you think of Goins’ game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Fans of the popular game show “Jeopardy!” were left fuming this week as millions of viewers missed out on witnessing the thrilling wildcard win by contestant Drew Goins. Goins, a software engineer from Chicago, managed to secure a spot in the next round of the tournament with his impressive performance.
However, due to a technical glitch on the network broadcasting the episode, many fans were unable to watch the nail-biting showdown between Goins and his competitors. Social media was flooded with angry comments from disappointed viewers who missed out on seeing Goins’ triumphant victory.
Despite the frustration expressed by fans, Goins himself remained humble and gracious in his win, thanking his competitors and the show’s host, Alex Trebek, for the opportunity to compete. He also expressed his gratitude to his family and friends for their support throughout the competition.
As the controversy surrounding the missed episode continues to brew, fans are hopeful that they will have the opportunity to catch a rerun of Goins’ wildcard win and witness his impressive performance firsthand. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
Thank heaven for the Tampa Bay-Washington Divisional Doink which halted a streak of four straight flat-out ugly football games. Without that, we would have had an unrelenting weekend of awful pro football … a stark contrast to the two College Football Playoff instant classics that led into the NFL playoffs.
This opening round of the NFL playoffs — don’t call it “Super Wild Card Weekend” anymore, the NFL quietly trashed that awful branding — actually replicated the first round of the CFP in all the wrong ways. In each of the first four games, three of which were certified blowouts, the home team dusted the visitors without a whole lot of trouble, or drama. All four winners captured the leads they’d never surrender in the first half — sometimes early (Philadelphia, 101 seconds into the game) and sometimes late (Houston, 58 seconds before halftime). By the end of all four games, the announcers were already previewing the next round’s matchup long before the clock hit zeroes.
The simple truth about football, at both the college and pro levels, is this: The gap between the elite teams and everyone else is vast and virtually unbridgeable. (And the ability of the Chargers to saw off their own feet remains unmatched.) Only the single-game variance of football allows for unexpected results to occasionally crop up; if the Bills played the Broncos in a best-of-seven, Denver would be lucky to force a Game 6.
The six-game wild-card round has variances, but it’s trending toward a familiar pattern. Since the playoffs grew to six wild-card weekend games in 2020, the higher seed tends to win, and win by an increasingly large margin.
In 2024, there will be a maximum of two one-possession games, if Minnesota and the Rams keep it close Monday night. The higher seed has won four of five so far.
In 2023, only one of the opening-round games was closer than 14 points. (The Lions defeated the Rams, 24-23.) The higher seed won five of six.
In 2022, there were actually four one-possession games, including Jacksonville’s rally from down 27-0. The higher seed won four of six.
In 2021, there were two one-possession games, and the higher seed won five of six.
In 2020, when the playoffs began, there were three-one possession games. The higher seed won only two of six, but 2020 was a weird year that shouldn’t count for anything anyway.
Justin Herbert’s very bad day against the Texans included going to 14 of 32 with four interceptions. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
What does all this mean for the playoffs going forward? Well, in the same way that adding ice cubes to your beer isn’t going to do much for the flavor, adding more teams to the playoffs won’t do anything to the competitive balance of the postseason. Because, let’s remember … you’re not adding those teams to the top of the bracket.
Combine the NFL playoffs’ inevitable expansion to 16 teams with the overall league’s inevitable expansion to 18 games, and you can see where we’re heading — more playoff blowouts, more less-than-qualified teams in the postseason.
The argument for an expanded playoff is obvious: more teams = more fans invested in the playoff race = more revenue. But remember how the playoff “race” went this year — only three teams were still in contention in Week 18 that didn’t make the postseason, and the Falcons, Dolphins and Bengals didn’t exactly spend this season covering themselves in glory only to fall short at the last second. The NFL has a whole lot of bad teams every year, and allowing two more of them to slip into the postseason will do nothing to improve the overall product.
There’s always the chance you’ll get a miracle finish like Washington-Tampa Bay. But the likelihood in every wild-card weekend going forward is that the annual Saturday afternoon Texans slapfight will be the rule, rather than the unwatchable exception.
As the NFL’s wild-card weekend wraps up, fans and analysts alike are buzzing about the thrilling matchups and intense competition that unfolded on the field. From the nail-biting finishes to the underdog victories, the weekend certainly did not disappoint.
But amidst all the excitement, one thing became clear: the playoffs should not be expanded any further. The current format, with six teams from each conference earning a spot in the postseason, already provides a perfect balance of competitiveness and excitement. Adding more teams to the mix would only dilute the quality of play and diminish the drama that makes the playoffs so special.
Take, for example, the wild-card games this past weekend. The Buffalo Bills’ thrilling overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Rams’ upset win over the Seattle Seahawks were both prime examples of why the current format works so well. The stakes were high, the tension was palpable, and the games delivered the kind of drama that fans crave.
Expanding the playoffs to include more teams would not only water down the competition, but it would also make it harder for deserving teams to earn a spot in the postseason. With only 12 teams currently making the cut, every regular-season game carries enormous weight, and only the best of the best make it to the playoffs. This ensures that the teams competing for the championship truly deserve to be there.
In conclusion, the NFL’s wild-card weekend served as a reminder of why the playoffs should not be expanded. The current format strikes the perfect balance between competitiveness and excitement, and adding more teams to the mix would only detract from the drama and intensity that make the postseason so special. Let’s keep the playoffs as they are and continue to enjoy the thrilling matchups and unforgettable moments that they provide.
The star wide receiver, who had come to the Texans from the Buffalo Bills via trade before the season, suffered the tear while running a route late in the third quarter. Diggs went down on the non-contact injury while making his break to the inside, and he remained down on the field after the play before eventually walking off under his own power.
Initially, the Texans did not announce Diggs’ status until they had confirmation of the injury. Two days after the game, however, the team announced that the wideout had torn his ACL, ending his season early.
Diggs is one of two top receivers that Houston will be missing for its wild-card clash on Saturday afternoon. Second-year receiver Tank Dell will also be out after suffering a season-ending injury – a dislocated kneecap – in Week 16.
Wide receiver Nico Collins, who missed five games earlier this season while dealing with a hamstring injury, is good to go for Saturday’s game. He’ll likely be joined by John Metchie III and Robert Woods in the starting receiver spots.
As part of their trade for Diggs, the Texans voided the final three years of the four-year extension the wideout had signed with the Bills ahead of the 2022 season. Houston also moved his guaranteed money for 2025 into this season, allowing Diggs to get a slight pay raise and the chance to become a free agent after 2024.
Here’s how Diggs’ Texans contract looked going into the 2024 regular season, according to Spotrac.com:
Term: 1 year
Total value: $22.5 million
Average annual value (AAV): $22.5 million
Guaranteed money: $22.0 million
Diggs will hit free agency when the 2025 league year begins on March 12.
Diggs managed to play in seven full games (and three quarters of an eighth) for the Texans before his injury.
Here are his stats through those first eight games:
Targets: 64
Receptions: 47
Receiving yards: 496
Yards per reception: 10.6
Touchdowns: 4 (3 receiving, 1 rushing)
As the Houston Texans gear up for their wild-card round matchup, fans are left wondering: Where is Stefon Diggs? The star wide receiver has been dealing with an injury that has kept him sidelined for the past few weeks.
According to sources close to the team, Diggs suffered a hamstring injury during practice leading up to their final regular-season game. The injury was initially thought to be minor, but as the week progressed, it became clear that Diggs would not be able to suit up for the game.
Now, as the Texans prepare to take on their wild-card opponent, Diggs’ status remains uncertain. The coaching staff has been tight-lipped about the severity of the injury and whether or not Diggs will be able to play.
Fans are hopeful that Diggs will be able to make a miraculous recovery and take the field for the crucial playoff game. His presence on the field could make a significant impact on the outcome of the game.
Stay tuned for updates on Stefon Diggs’ injury status as the Texans get ready to face off in the wild-card round. Let’s hope that we see him back on the field soon and making big plays for the team.
Republicans say they’re ready to work together to tackle a full load of legislative priorities, from paring down government spending to passing Trump’s agenda on tax cuts, oil and gas production, mass deportations and more.
But delivering on their goals may not be easy. Republicans have a tiny majority in the House, and every lawmaker has their own priorities. That means just a few members can derail even must-pass legislation.
And Trump has already demonstrated to lawmakers how quickly he can force them to change their plans: Controversial Cabinet nominees have had Senate Republicans scrambling to appease Trump while weighing fitness for office. House Republicans had a deal to avoid a government shutdown blown up overnight by Trump demanding big changes.
Plus, events can scramble or accelerate any would-be priorities. For example, GOP senators are also highlighting a New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that killed at least 14 people and a fatal Tesla Cybertruck explosion at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas as an imperative to get the president-elect’s national security nominees confirmed as soon as possible.
Here’s what to expect from the new 119th Congress.
But a few ultraconservative House lawmakers have said they aren’t sure whether they’ll vote for Johnson again after a spending meltdown paralyzed the House right before the holiday break.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has said he won’t vote for Johnson no matter what. All Democrats plan to support House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. That means Johnson must get every other Republican member of Congress to vote for him to keep his crown.
A few other House Republicans say they are still undecided on whether to support Johnson, even after Trump endorsed him. At least one Republican, Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana, has publicly released a list of demands she wants in exchange for their vote. Expect more wheeling and dealing before they throw their support behind Johnson – if they do so at all.
Tiny vote margins could cause headaches
Republicans will have a tiny four-seat majority in the House when Congress convenes, the smallest in modern history.
That ratio will shift throughout the beginning of the year. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House in November and will not retake his seat on Friday, leaving one vacancy as the year begins (a 219-215 majority for Republicans.)
Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. and Mike Waltz, R-Fla., plan to leave Congress for roles in the Trump administration, but not until at least Jan. 20, when Trump is inaugurated. That will further narrow the majority temporarily to 217-215.
All three are from districts that are likely to send another Republican to replace their departing member during special elections to replace the departing members. Once that happens, the final Republican majority is expected to be 220-215.
These narrow margins mean the GOP will need nearly total unanimity to get anything through the lower chamber – giving each House Republican significant power to derail any legislation if they disagree with it. That kind of power dynamic has been a challenge for the conference before, as rank-and-file members repeatedly blocked or delayed policy spearheaded by their own leadership in the last Congress.
In the Senate, Republicans will also have a relatively thin 53-47 majority. That’s enough to comfortably pass agreed-upon GOP priorities, but not enough to easily approve controversial ones that may lose the support of moderate senators like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Case in point: Gaetz dropped out of consideration to be Trump’s attorney general when it was clear he could not get enough GOP support to get approved.
Republicans’ Senate majority is also not big enough to overcome the 60-vote threshold necessary to overcome the filibuster on most legislation. Republicans plan to pass much of Trump’s agenda through a party-line “reconciliation” process (more on that below), but any other policy will need Democratic support.
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A big play for Trump’s agenda
Most federal government trifectas last only two years.
Republicans are well aware of this and plan to move quickly to pass ambitious policies that reflect Trump’s campaign promises. If done the typical way, most of those policies would hit a dead end in the Senate controlled 53-47 by Republicans, as 60 votes are needed to pass the vast majority of bills.
To get around that, Republicans plan to use a procedure called “reconciliation” to pass their tax and spending-related priorities with a simple majority vote – the same tool Democrats used to push through President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 and a COVID-19 stimulus bill in 2021.
Republicans have said they want to focus on border security, domestic energy production, extending Trump’s 2017 tax plan, paring down government spending and more. They may pursue two separate reconciliation packages, focusing on border security first.
Before they left for the holidays, House Republicans added a last-minute wrinkle to that plan. They agreed to pursue raising the debt ceiling as part of the reconciliation process – which is sure to be a politically fraught debate. Raising the debt ceiling pays the federal government’s loans on things it has already paid for, and defaulting on the federal debt could have catastrophic consequences. The high-stakes debate regularly stirs up concerns about government spending and likely won’t be easily resolved.
Democrats playing the opposition
Democrats will be in the minority in both chambers, denying them powerful committee chairmanships, subpoena power for oversight and investigations without GOP support, and leadership roles that can set the agenda in Congress.
Instead, they’ll likely focus on telling the public about what they see as the harmful consequences of Republican policies to rally opposition and potentially bring more voters to their side in the 2026 midterm elections.
In the Senate, they’ll be able to throw up roadblocks to legislation they oppose by using the filibuster to create a 60-vote threshold to pass most bills – except the party-line reconciliation bills Republicans plan to use for Trump’s priorities.
And if Republicans can’t agree among themselves enough to take advantage of that tiny majority in the House? Don’t expect Democrats to bail them out unless they get something in return.
A constant 2026 midterm threat
Political trifectas typically don’t last long for either Democrats or Republicans.
The majority party has repeatedly lost control of the House in the first midterm election after gaining across-the-board power in a presidential election: Biden, Trump, former President Barack Obama, and former President Bill Clinton all lost the House after their first two years in office.
Still, lawmakers who are up for reelection in 2026 – all House members and 33 senators – will constantly be looking to deliver for voters in the hopes they can keep their seats in two years.
Only one Senate Republican is running in a state won by Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024: Collins of Maine. The political map can also easily change in an off-cycle election season where there’s no presidential race atop the ticket. In addition, several Republican senators in deeper red states could be vulnerable to primary threats.
Trump and his allies are already leveraging those dynamics in both the House and Senate by threatening to back primary challengers to independent-minded Republicans to try to force them to fall in line.
For example, Trump said in mid-December that GOP senators who oppose his nominees for “stupid” reasons should face primary challengers. A few days later, he posted on social media that he hoped Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who opposed his government funding plan, would get a primary challenge and said: “Republican obstructionists have to be done away with.”
But some lawmakers are already growing tired of the threats.
“You can’t primary” every Republican who votes against spending bills, Massie said after the spending bill passed with 34 Republicans voting against it. “I mean, you can… You’ll weed out the weak. But the rest of us will have antibodies.”
The new Congress is gearing up to take office in January, and there are a lot of expectations and uncertainties surrounding what to expect from the incoming legislators. From big policy changes to the unpredictable influence of President Trump, here’s a breakdown of what could be in store for the next session of Congress.
Big Policies:
One of the major issues that is expected to be at the forefront of the new Congress’s agenda is healthcare. With the ongoing debate over the Affordable Care Act and rising healthcare costs, Democrats are likely to push for expanding access to healthcare and lowering prescription drug prices. Republicans, on the other hand, may aim to make changes to the ACA or propose alternative healthcare solutions.
Another key policy area that is expected to be a focus for the new Congress is climate change. Democrats have made it clear that they plan to prioritize climate action, including investments in clean energy, environmental protections, and addressing the impacts of climate change. Republicans may push back against some of these efforts, raising concerns about the economic impact of such policies.
Trump Wildcard:
One of the biggest uncertainties surrounding the new Congress is the influence of President Trump. While he will no longer be in office, Trump’s presence and influence are likely to continue to shape the political landscape. From his potential involvement in the Republican Party to his social media presence and possible influence on policy debates, Trump remains a wildcard in the upcoming session of Congress.
Overall, the new Congress is expected to be a contentious and active session, with debates over healthcare, climate change, and other key policy issues likely to dominate the agenda. The influence of President Trump adds an additional layer of uncertainty to the proceedings, making it difficult to predict exactly what will happen in the next session of Congress. Stay tuned for updates as the new Congress takes office and begins its work.
The Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova outlasted Australian wildcard Talia Gibson 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3 in a three-hour marathon in the opening round of the Brisbane International on Sunday.
World No. 44 Bouzkova was expected to have a comfortable opener against the 20-year-old Australian, but was pushed all the way by the big-hitting Gibson.
She will now play seventh-seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the season-opening tournament.
“She has so much power so I was behind in a lot of the rallies,” Bouzkova said.
“I’m just happy that I could get a lot of balls back and fight with everything I have.”
In other matches, McCartney Kessler of the United States pulled off an upset when she downed Poland’s world number 38 Magda Linette in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.
The 25-year-old American will now play 15th seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in the second round.
Mexico’s Renata Zarazua set up a second round clash against world number one Aryna Sabalenka with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova.
Australian Maya Joint beat fellow countrywoman Maddison Inglis 6-3, 6-4, Armenian Elina Avanesyan downed Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 and Russia’s Anna Blinkova was too good for Czech player Sara Bejlek 6-1, 7-6 (7/5).
American Ashlyn Krueger saw off Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 and Dutchwoman Suzan Lamens downed Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-4.
Marie Bouzkova, the rising tennis star from the Czech Republic, showcased her resilience and skill as she outlasted Australian wildcard in the opening round of the Brisbane International.
In a thrilling match that had fans on the edge of their seats, Bouzkova displayed her determination and composure as she fought back from a set down to secure a hard-fought victory. With her powerful groundstrokes and strategic play, Bouzkova proved why she is a force to be reckoned with on the court.
The win marks a strong start to the season for Bouzkova, who is looking to build on her success from last year. With her impressive performance in Brisbane, she has set the tone for what promises to be an exciting year ahead.
Congratulations to Marie Bouzkova on her well-deserved win, and we look forward to seeing more impressive performances from her in the upcoming tournaments. Keep an eye out for this talented player as she continues to make her mark on the tennis world.
