MELBOURNE, Australia — Anna Blinkova needed 10 match points before finally finishing off an upset over 2023 finalist Elena Rybakina in a record, half-hour tiebreaker to reach the third round of the Australian Open.
Blinkova was a break up in all three sets but third-ranked Rybakina rallied each time.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion had six match points of her own before eventually running out of chances against her Russian opponent in a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (20) defeat.
In terms of points — 42 — it was the longest tiebreaker ever in a women’s Grand Slam event.
“It was super tough. I had so many match points,” the No. 57-ranked Blinkova said. “And I tried to be aggressive but my hand was shaking. And my legs, too! I tried to be calm, as much as I could. Super happy in the end.”
Anna Blinkova celebrates her win over Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open on Jan. 18, 2024. AP
Anna Blinkova survived a 42-point tiebreak REUTERSUnlike Rybakina, top-ranked Iga Swiatek had an escape in the opening match on Rod Laver Arena when she rallied from 4-1 down in the third set to beat 2022 runner-up Danielle Collins 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Swiatek was down two service breaks in the deciding set before she went on a five-game winning roll to finish off a match that featured wild momentum shifts and a 25-minute rain delay in 3 hours, 14 minutes.
“You can actually relax a little bit more because you know that, ‘OK, probably I’m going to lose, so I don’t care anymore,’” Swiatek said. “Then it’s easier.”
In her on-court interview, she joked: “Honestly, I was on the airport already. But I wanted to fight to the end,” she said. ”I’m really proud of myself.”
Elena Rybakina was among the favorites in Melbourne. REUTERSRybakina and Swiatek are among the favorites to win the season’s first Grand Slam.
Collins announced soon after that 2024 would be her last season on tour.
