![Anna Brinkova Australian Open 2024](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2024/01/AP24018432918163.jpg)
Russia's Anna Blinkova reacts after defeating Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in the second round of the Australian Open Tennis Championships at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, January 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy ·won)
MELBOURNE, Australia — With trembling hands and legs, Anna Blinkova missed nine match points, but saved six to clinch 41 points in a wild tiebreak, the longest in women's Grand Slam history.
Last year's Australian Open runner-up Elena Rybakina had similar concerns on the other side of the net.
Brinkova lunged for a backhand just to maintain the rally, and Rybakina's next backhand missed wide, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (20) in the second round on Thursday. He achieved victory. Never, never forget.
“It took courage,” she said. “It took some composure to stay in the moment and play point by point, no matter what happened.”
After losing 18-17 and reaching match point, Anna Brinkova did something like this…
It feels truly out of this world.#AusOpen • #AO2024 • @wwos • @espn • @Eurosport • @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/jP1Dcl4K6I
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2024
Rybakina 2022 Wimbledon Champion The runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka here last year, she saved two match points in the third set, including six breaks of serve.
Brinkova served for four twice in the match, but was unable to finish, and a double fault in the 12th game forced a 10-point tiebreak. Thirteen minutes after the first match point, Brinkova scored two more points at 9-7, but Rybakina again saved them and the match continued.
A smiling Brinkova later described it as „a never-ending tiebreaker.“ It lasted 32 minutes until it ended on Rybakina's backhand error.
With 42 points, it was the longest tie-break in women's major history.
„It was super tough. There were a lot of match points,“ said Blinkova, who is ranked 57th and has suffered 13 first-round losses in the past 20 majors. “I tried to be proactive, but my hands were shaking. And so were my legs!
„I tried to stay as calm as possible.“
It was a memorable event for Rybakina as well. She knew she wasted her chance.
But „I'm really proud that I fought until the end,“ Rybakina said. „That means you can't play perfectly all the time. And of course we could have lost it earlier.“
![Iga Swiatek Australian Open 2024](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2024/01/AP24018092138104.jpg)
![Iga Swiatek Australian Open 2024](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2024/01/AP24018092138104.jpg)
Iga Swiatek of Poland reacts after winning a point from Daniel Collins of the United States during the second round of the Australian Open Tennis Championships at Melbourne Park on Thursday, January 18, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Top ranking unlike Rybakina Iga Swiatek He narrowly escaped the opening match at Rod Laver Arena, but rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the third set to defeat 2022 runner-up Daniel Collins 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Ta.
Swiatek conceded two breaks of serve in the deciding set, but won five games in a row, finishing the match in three hours and 14 minutes after strong momentum changes and a 25-minute delay due to rain.
„I can actually relax a little more because I know, 'Okay, I'm probably going to lose, so I don't care anymore,'“ Swiatek said. „That's easy then.“
„To be honest, I was already at the airport,“ she joked in an on-court interview.
„But I wanted to fight to the end,“ she said. „I'm really proud of myself.“
Shortly afterward, Collins announced that 2024 would be his final season on tour.
„Yeah, I lost 6-4 in the third to one of the best players in the world,“ Collins said. „And she played great tennis. (I) left everything on the court.“
Four-time major champion Swiatek will next face No. 50 Linda Noskova, who defeated U.S. qualifier McCartney Kessler 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.
World No. 5 Jessica Pegula's third consecutive quarter-final appearance in Australia ended with a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Clara Brel. Fellow American and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens defeated No. 14 seed Daria Kasatkina 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, No. 11 Jelena Ostapenko, No. 12 She advanced to the top along with Jen Qingwen, who placed 1st place, and Elina, who placed 19th place. Svitolina and 27th place Emma Navarro.
2021 US Open Champion emma radukanu's In his return major, he lost to Wang Yafan 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz dropped a set for the first time in the tournament, but bounced back to defeat Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (3).
Braving strong winds, Alcaraz was tested by Lorenzo Sonego, then won in four sets, and was next up for the 18-year-old Chinese wildcard who beat India's Sumit Nagal 2-6, 6-3, 7. , he will face off against Shang Junchen. 5, 6-4.
This will be the first time on tour that Alcaraz will face a younger player.
„He beat some big players,“ Alcaraz said of Shang's semifinal appearance in Hong Kong earlier this month. „So I know he's at that level. He's already there.“
Artur Cazeau overcame No. 8 Holger Luhn 7-6 (4), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, but was defeated by No. 13 Grigor Dimitrov, No. 14 Tommy Paul, No. 19 Cameron. Norrie and 21st place Hugo Humbert won. No. 27 Felix Auger-Aliassime also advanced to the top.
The previous two matches were close until a 10-point tiebreak was decided, with Olympic champion Alexander Zverev defeating Lukas Klein 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(5), 7- I dodged it in 4 times with 6(7). It took 30 minutes and No. 11 Casper Ruud defeated Max Purcell 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7).
„He played unbelievable. He was hitting every ball with all his might from both sides,“ Zverev said of Klein, who qualified 163rd from Slovakia. „Most of the time I didn't know what to do. To be honest, he probably deserved to win the game more than me today.“