Sports
15-13 in the decider!
Updated : Jan 20, 2018, 10:36 AM IST
World number one Simona Halep saved three match points before edging an inspired Lauren Davis 4-6 6-4 15-13 in a thrilling marathon to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday.
The Romanian fought back from the brink at 11-10 in the epic final set before serving out the match on the fourth attempt after a taxing three hours and 44 minutes on the centre court at Rod Laver Arena.
A former quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park, Halep closed out the attritional contest on the first match point, when 76th-ranked American Davis, who had gone for broke all match, fired into the tramlines, her 73rd unforced error.
The 26-year-old Halep will meet the winner of home favourite Ashleigh Barty and Japan's Naomi Osaka for a place in the quarter-finals, having carried her injured ankle through a deciding set of 142 minutes.
"I'm almost dead but it was nice that we could show good tennis," Halep said in the on-court interview, raising a laugh from the crowd. "Definitely it was a very tough match, so long, and I never played the third set so long. I just feel that my muscles are gone. My ankle is -- I don't know how it is because I don't feel it any more."
Davis, a baby-faced 24-year-old with a monster forehand, was majestic in defeat, breaking Halep three times when the Romanian served for the match and battling on after losing a toenail late in the game. She came within an inch of the biggest win of her career when she swooped forward to pounce on a speculative drop-shot and whipped a passing shot to earn three match points at 11-10.
Halep nervelessly saved them all, winning five points in a row for a galvanising hold before Davis removed her sneaker and walked gingerly to her chair. She took a medical timeout to stall Halep's momentum and the Romanian fumed on the baseline as a trainer worked on Davis's toe.
With Davis hobbled slightly, Halep moved in for the kill but the American saved five break points to frustrate her opponent, and later thanked the net cord for helping her hold again at 12-12. Halep finally breached Davis's serve at 14-13, and edged a 17-shot rally to come within two points of victory.
Apparently spent, Davis swung hard in a desperate late flurry but missed twice, a forehand sailing just wide to allow Halep to continue her bid for a long-awaited maiden grand slam title.
A super Saturday of tennis begins now!
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Will @Simona_Halep progress to the second week, or will @LaurenDavis93 upset the world number ? #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/RvAuV1txZ3
Benefit of the doubt: it's not luck when you're number one... #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/I85T1nyMTY
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Yeh, nah - you can't stop those. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/OOU6vYi1vw
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Lauren #Davis is putting it all on the line against Simona #Halep.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
But the world number holds in a vital game: she leads 4-2 in the second set. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/vfzOuxCjIO
Lauren #Davis = #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/clfVAsfLMg
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Defence #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/8LSk8bnm4n
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Heads up! #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/douS5xinxY
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Not. Going. Anywhere!
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
A huge break and this incredible match takes another turn... and Davis is pumped! #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/iC9eLQI0Ww
How?!
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
What a match this is on @RodLaverArena! #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/ZgU6gsLaWc
Current feels. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/wafJLbEmlR
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
No words.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Just enjoy this. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/OFhA1m49lt
Can this match never end?#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/E7HHfnbam1
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
And we go on...
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Twitter - who's your pick? #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/2a5S4yPzPh
Is there anything this match doesn't have?!
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
A medical timeout for Lauren Davis locked at 11-11 against Simona Halep.
This is intense. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/5wztMP3caD
What about this woman's backhand?!#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/IO9Q5RujeZ
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Clutch.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
The world number showing her quality! #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/dViSsYlnjn
#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/pyeFygJqiY
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
There aren't enough words invented to describe this match.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
This'll do. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/qI6rageBar
RT if you think this is match of the tournament so far...#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/qyiRHGsYTM
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Think you can win this @Simona_Halep ? #KiaTennis #AusOpen @Kia_Motors pic.twitter.com/ItIvBO944p
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
Calling in reinforcements!
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
New balls brought to @RodLaverArena as the clock ticks over three hours and 30 minutes... #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/cAgJqenUCr
An epic.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
There's no other way to describe it. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/yh3yHzhbUV
“My muscles are gone. My ankle - I don’t know how it is because I can’t feel it... It's great to be in 4R."
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2018
The world number , @Simona_Halep wins an incredible match to keep her #AusOpen campaign alive. pic.twitter.com/ddtJTR3ewL
(Inputs from Reuters)