Australian Open tie-break record broken as Elena Rybakina exits tournament
Yesterday at the Australian Open, a Grand Slam record was broken as Anna Brinkova defeated third seed Elena Rybakina in the longest tie-break in history.
Rybakina came from behind to win three deciding sets, saving two match points and forcing a tiebreak (10 points first).
With a score difference of 9-7, the 2022 Wimbledon champion was forced to save two consecutive match points and continue the match.
The tie-break was a back-and-forth affair, with Rybakina saving a total of 11 match points and Brinkova saving six to finally get her chance.
Blinkova defeated Rybakina 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (22-20), with the tiebreak itself lasting 31 minutes. This was longer than any set set by Aryna Sabalenka today.
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This is the tie-break record held by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Roddick at the 2007 Australian Open, and the tie-break record held by Lesia Tsurenko and Ana Bogdan at Wimbledon in 2023. I broke it.
With this, world No. 57 Blinkova advances to the third round of the Melbourne Major for the first time in her career after defeating last year’s finalist.
This Russian said it was the best day of his life. “I’ll never forget this day, especially on this pitch and in this crowd. I’ll never forget it. It’s the best day of my life so far.
“When I played against Caroline (Garcia) at Roland Garros, of course most of the crowd was against me. Today they cheered me up a lot. They were incredible. I loved it. It was a dream come true to play with a packed crowd at Rod Laver. The energy was crazy. ”
Blinkova revealed that she had a very negative mindset after failing to capitalize on her match point opportunity, but in the end she held on to her feelings.
“When I had a chance, when I had a match point, I rushed,” Brinkova said. “My hands were shaking. I tried to be proactive, but I made a lot of mistakes.”
The 25-year-old player continued. “Negative thoughts came into my mind, especially when I couldn’t convert the match point and when I came back I still had it,” Brinkova said. “I thought about it a lot. What if she hit a good serve, what if she hit a big hit on her first serve? Then it’s over.
“I tried to get rid of these thoughts. I told myself to shorten the trajectory and increase the speed of the return hand. Always be steady, run everywhere, everything I told myself to put the ball in the field.”
The previous record was 38 points, which happened on two occasions:
2007 Australian Open, first set tiebreak, Tsonga D. Roddick 20-18 (Rodick lost the tiebreak but won the match)
Tsurenko dies in final set tie-break at Wimbledon 2023. Bogdan 20-18
– ITF Media (@ITFMedia) 18. 2024 年 1 月
Blinkova will face 26th seed Jasmine Paolini tomorrow, with both players aiming to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in their respective careers.
In the baseline…
The situation that unfolded in Melbourne last night was truly unbelievable, with a historic tie-break culminating in a roaring crowd at Rod Laver Arena. After saving all match points, many thought Elena Rybakina, known for her calm demeanor, won the match. This shows how well Anna Brinkova coped with the situation. Because it was something she had never experienced before.
Read more: How to watch the Australian Open
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