In an epic encounter at the Australian Open, Anna Blinkova faced intense pressure and nerves as she missed nine match points while saving six. The wild tiebreaker against Elena Rybakina set a new record as the longest ever in a women’s Grand Slam event, lasting 32 minutes and involving a total of 41 points.
Despite the challenges, Blinkova managed to secure a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (20) victory in the second round. The match featured multiple service breaks, and Blinkova had two opportunities to close out the match but was unable to do so. The prolonged 10-point tiebreaker saw several match points saved by both players, with Blinkova finally emerging victorious.
Blinkova, ranked 57th, admitted to feeling nervous during the endless tiebreaker but highlighted the team’s effort to stay focused on delivering a quality performance. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion and last year’s Australian Open runner-up, reflected on the missed chances but expressed pride in her fight till the end.
The Australian Open’s No. 3 seed, Daniil Medvedev, also faced a challenging match, rallying from two sets down to defeat Emil Ruusuvuori in a 4-hour, 23-minute battle that concluded at 3:39 a.m. local time.
Day 5 of the tournament featured top-ranked Iga Swiatek’s narrow escape as she rallied from 4-1 down in the third set to overcome Danielle Collins 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Other notable results included Jessica Pegula’s loss to Clara Burel and Sloane Stephens advancing by defeating Daria Kasatkina.
The 2021 U.S. Open champion, Emma Raducanu, experienced a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 loss to Wang Yafan. In the men’s singles, Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame a challenge from Lorenzo Sonego, while several other seeded players, including Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud, advanced in tough matches.
The Australian Open continues with exciting and hard-fought battles as players strive to progress in the tournament.
