Alina Korneeva has fought again from a set right down to beat fellow Russian Mirra Andreeva in a marathon Australian Open ladies’ ultimate.
Tears flowed as ninth seed Korneeva prevailed 6-7 (2-7) 6-Four 7-5 at Rod Laver Enviornment on Saturday.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Korneeva and Andreeva embrace after marathon match.
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The exhausted gamers, each simply 15 years previous, embraced on the web after a battle that lasted three hours, 17 minutes.
Korneeva wasted two championship factors within the 10th sport of the third set – the second of these with a double-fault – as Andreeva broke to remain within the match.
However Korneeva broke straight again and gained her ultimate service sport to like, clinching the championship in her first try at a junior grand slam.
“It is not our final battle,” Korneeva advised her emotional opponent post-match.
“We could have a whole lot of good matches when you’ll win, when I’ll win… it was a tough battle.”
Social media was filled with reward for the pair after the match.
“Love this a lot!!! Go ladies!!! Nobody deserved to lose,” injured Australian star Daria Saville stated.
“Completely class conduct by the champion, whispering phrases of consolation in Andreeva’s ear earlier than occurring to have fun it,” distinguished tennis journalist Stephanie Myles tweeted.
“Unbelievable match. Wonderful sportsmanship. Two champions!” one fan added.
Koreenva, who idolises tennis legends Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, is the primary Australian Open ladies’ champion from Russia since Elizaveta Kulichkova in 2014.
She additionally follows within the footsteps of fellow Russians Ksenia Pervak (2009) and two-time winner Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2006-07).
Korneeva additionally joins a ladies’ title honor roll that features Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1970) and fellow former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka (2005), who each went on to assert the ladies’s crown on a number of events.
– AAP
