Elena Rybakina and Anna Blinkova made tennis historical past within the absolute thriller they delivered on the Australian Open as their match now owns the report for the longest tie-break performed on the Grand Slam degree.

On Thursday, world No. 57 Blinkova gained a 42-point third-set tie-break to finish the most important upset of this yr’s Australian Open and beat third-seeded Rybakina 6-4 4-6 7-6 (20). The third-set tie-break between Rybakina and Blinkova featured one of many largest dramas seen in recent times with so many twists and turns. 

Ultimately, it was Blinkova who gained the 31-minute marathon tie-break, clinching a win in one of the crucial dramatic and epic finishes in latest reminiscence.

The earlier report for the longest tie-break stood at 38 factors – it occurred twice. In 2007, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gained the first-set tie-break in opposition to Andy Roddick with a 20-18 scoreline. Final yr, that report was matched at Wimbledon after Lesia Tsurenko gained the final-set tie-break versus Ana Bogdan with a 20-18 scoreline.

The earlier report was 38 factors, which occurred on two events:

2007 Australian Open, 1st set tiebreak, Tsonga d. Roddick 20-18 (Roddick misplaced the tiebreak however gained the match)

2023 Wimbledon, ultimate set tiebreak, Tsurenko d. Bogdan 20-18

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Rybakina additionally had a number of probabilities to beat Blinkova within the tie-break

On the Grand Slam degree, the primary participant to get to 10 factors with at the very least a two-point margin wins the deciding-set tie-break. 

The primary to have match factors within the third-set tie-break was Blinkova, who missed out on two consecutive match factors at 9-7, in addition to at 10-9 and 11-10, respectively. After saving 4 match factors within the tie-break, Rybakina had her first two match factors however didn’t convert it.

After Blinkova did not convert a match level at 14-13, Rybakina additionally missed out on match factors at 15-14 and 16-15, respectively. Then, Blinkova failed to understand a match level at 17-16 however Rybakina additionally did not convert her match factors at 18-17 and 19-18, respectively.

Blinkova missed out on one other match level at 20-19 however managed to understand her tenth match level at 21-20 to seal an epic win over Rybakina. In complete, Blinkova required 10 match factors earlier than beating Rybakina – she had two match factors within the twelfth recreation of the second set and eight extra match factors within the tie-break. 

But in addition, it needs to be highlighted that Blinkova saved 6-of-6 of Rybakina’s match factors within the third-set tie-break.