It is hard enough to rally to win a match after being match point down, but to do that and go on to win that tournament is an especially herculean task. Players rebounded from at least one match point down en route to winning a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title at seven events this year. Of those titlists, Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic saved the most match points with four each, and Serena Williams was the only player to accomplish the feat at multiple events and the only one to do it at a Grand Slam.
Saved Match Points En Route to Tour Title in 2009:
Caroline Wozniacki at Ponte Vedra Beach - the Dane saved two match points at 5-3 down in the third set and two more at 6-5 down in the third set of her 26 63 76(4) semifinal win over Elena Vesnina. She went on to drop just three games in the final against Aleksandra Wozniak for the first of her three Tour singles titles in 2009.
Anabel Medina Garrigues at Fès - the Spaniard fought off three match points at 61 65 down in her 16 76(1) 63 second round victory over Klara Zakopalova. Medina Garrigues won her remaining matches in straight sets, including a 60 61 rout of Ekaterina Makarova in the final for her only Tour singles title of 2009 and ninth of her career.
Serena Williams at Wimbledon - the American fended off one match point down 5-4 in the third set of her 67(4) 75 86 victory over Elena Dementieva in the semifinals, a battle some called the match of the year. She did not drop a set in any of her other six matches of the fortnight, including in the final against sister Venus, as she recorded her third career Wimbledon title and 11th Grand Slam.
Marion Bartoli at Stanford - the Frenchwoman withstood two match points at 63 65 down in her 36 76(3) 63 quarterfinal defeat of Jelena Jankovic. She also endured three-setters in her victories in the semifinals and finals over Samantha Stosur and Venus Williams, respectively. The title was her second of the year and fifth of her career.
Jelena Jankovic at Cincinnati - interestingly enough, in her very next event after squandering match points in a loss, the Serb turned the tables. She fought off four match points at 6-2 down in the third-set tie-break of her 76(2) 06 76(6) semifinal victory over Dementieva, the only player to be on the losing end of this list twice. Jankovic topped Dinara Safina in straight sets in the final for her second Tour singles title of the year and 11th of her career.
Kimiko Date Krumm at Seoul - the first title of the Japanese veteran's return to the Tour following a 12-year retirement did not come easily, as she had to fight off a match point at 64 53 down during her 46 76(4) 63 defeat of Alisa Kleybanova in the second round. She was also extended to three sets in her next two matches before handling Medina Garrigues in straight sets in the final for her eighth Tour singles title and first since 1996. At 38 years, 11 months and 30 days, she became the second-oldest Tour singles titlist of the Open Era behind Billie Jean King.
Serena Williams at Doha - in another chapter of the historic sibling rivalry, Serena fought off one match point at 6-5 down in third set of her 57 64 76(4) round robin win over Venus. She did not drop a set in her four matches after that, including another win over Venus in the final, as she put an exclamation point on her year with her third Tour singles title of the season and second Tour Championships title of her career.
Amount of Events In Which Winner Saved
At Least One Match Point (Past Five Years):
2009 - 7
2008 - 4
2007 - 12
2006 - 6
2005 - 9
