Unseeded Russian Anna Blinkova shocked last year’s runner-up Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open on Thursday (18th Jan, 2024) winning the longest tie-break in Grand Slam history as world number one Iga Swiatek came back from the brink.
On a day of striking second-round upsets, women’s fifth seed Jessica Pegula also crashed out, along with men’s eighth seed Holger Rune.
But the biggest drama was saved until late into the cool, breezy night in Melbourne, when Blinkova converted her 10th match point to beat third-ranked Rybakina 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (22/20).
The first two sets were completely forgotten in an astonishing 42-point tie-break that lasted more than half an hour.
The previous tie-break record at a Grand Slam was 38 points, which happened on two occasions — at the 2007 Australian Open and at last year’s Wimbledon.
Blinkova, 25, who saved six match points, said it was the “best day of my life so far”.
“I had so many match points and I tried to be aggressive in these moments, but my hands were shaking, my legs too. I tried to be calm as far as I could and I am super happy to win.
“I was telling myself ‘go for it’. I was also telling myself ‘just stay solid, stay solid, solid, solid, and just putting the ball in the court, into the court, in the court’, and finally it worked out.”
She will face 26th-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini in the third round.
Newspakistan.tv/APP/AFP
