Underdog Anna Blinkova defeated last year’s Australian Open runner-up Elena Rybakina 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (20) in the second round of the Grand Slam following what was the longest tiebreaker in a women’s singles Grand Slam event.
“This day I’ll remember for the rest of my life, on this court with this crowd, it’s the best of my life so far,” Blinkova exclaimed following her victory. Thank you to the crowd for encouraging me. It gave me so much energy to fight until the end.”
With both players winning a set 6-4, a third decisive set was required to determine a winner. While both players broke each other’s service games on three occasions, neither could gain the upper hand, leading to a tiebreaker. While Blinkova had the lead early on, she was unable to convert nine match points, while also saving six match points against her. Ultimately, she came away with the victory at 22-20.
