2021 Match Point Saves
Great Escapes 2021: Winning from match point down
Karolina Pliskova and Iga Swiatek each saved multiple match points before claiming hard-fought wins in Rome. Look back at the 29 WTA main draw matches in 2021 so far in which a player has saved at least one match point en route to victory.
01
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Sofia Kenin was the first player to pull off the feat in 2021, fighting back from match point down at 3-6, 5-6 to outlast Yulia Putintseva 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in the third round of Abu Dhabi.
Photo by WTA/Jimmie48
02
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In the very next match on the Abu Dhabi Centre Court, Elina Svitolina saved two match points in the final-set tiebreak to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(8) and reach the quarterfinals.
Photo by WTA/Jimmie48
03
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Elisabetta Cocciaretto stormed back from a dire first set to beat Zhu Lin in the opening round of the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne 0-6, 6-3, 7-5, saving match point in the third set as Zhu served at 5-4.
Photo by Getty Images
04
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Another Italian-Chinese battle in Melbourne saw Jasmine Paolini upset Wang Qiang in round two of the Gippsland Trophy in Melbourne 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, saving two match points en route to overturning a 2-5 second-set deficit.
Photo by Getty Images
05
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Irina-Camelia Begu claimed a wild Gippsland Trophy third-round victory over Johanna Konta 4-6, 7-6(10), 7-6(4), saving two match points in a second set she won on her eighth set point and closing the win out on her own ninth match point.
Photo by Getty Images
06
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Victoria Azarenka saved two match points in a decisive match-tiebreak and beat Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 1-6, [11-9] to reach the Grampians Trophy quarterfinals in Melbourne.
Photo by Getty Images
07
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Anett Kontaveit also saved two match points in a match-tiebreak to outlast Maria Sakkari in the Grampians Trophy semifinals 2-6, 6-3, [11-9].
Photo by Getty Images
08
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Serving at 4-5 in the second set, Donna Vekic fended off a match point against Kaia Kanepi and went on to take their Australian Open third-round clash 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-4 - a win that meant the Croat has reached the second week of every major.
Photo by Tennis Australia/Mark Peterson
09
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The first round of the Phillip Island Trophy in Melbourne saw Anna Blinkova save two match points serving down 4-5 in the second set before posting her first win of 2021 over Andrea Petkovic 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4.
Photo by Tennis Australia/Jonathan Di Maggio
10
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Sara Sorribes Tormo overturned a 3-5 final-set deficit in the first round of the Phillip Island Trophy to beat Liudmila Samsonova 6-7(6), 6-1, 7-6(4), staring down two match points serving at 4-5.
Photo by Tennis Australia/Reg Ryan
11
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Naomi Osaka erased two match points at 5-3 in the final set before rallying to take the final four games in a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Garbiñe Muguruza in the Australian Open fourth round.
Photo by Getty Images
12
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Making her WTA debut as a lucky loser in the second round of the Phillip Island Trophy, World No.566 Gabriella Da Silva Fick saved two match points trailing 4-5 in the decider before stunning Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(6).
Photo by Getty Images
13
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Marie Bouzkova saved two match points serving at 4-5 in the final set before defeating Bianca Andreescu 6-7(9), 6-2, 7-5 in the Phillip Island Trophy semifinals.
Photo by Tennis Australia/Luke Hemer
14
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The Adelaide quarterfinals saw Jil Teichmann fail to take five match points against Anastasija Sevastova in the second set, but face down two at 4-5 in the third before winning 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-5.
Photo by Tennis Australia/James Elsby
15
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A rollercoaster second round in Lyon saw Camila Giorgi eventually overcome Nina Stojanovic 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(5). In the third set Giorgi trailed 0-2, then led 5-3, then saved two match points serving down 5-6.
Photo by Alexandre Hergott/Open 6ème Sens - Métropole de Lyon
16
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After letting a 5-1 third-set lead and four match points slip away, Coco Gauff had to stave off two match points in a decisive tiebreak before gritting out a 7-6(3), 2-6, 7-6(8) win over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Dubai first round.
Photo by Getty Images
17
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Astra Sharma beat Harriet Dart 6-3, 6-2 in the final round of Guadalajara qualifying and, when the Briton made the main draw as a lucky loser, saved one match point at 4-5 in the decider to win their first-round reprise 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(2).
Photo by Imagen Shop/Abierto Zapopan
18
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Elise Mertens trailed Jessica Pegula 5-7, 2-5 after two hours of play in the Dubai quarterfinals - but came back to take the last 11 games, saving three match points at 4-5, for a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0 triumph.
Photo by Getty Images
19
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World No.241 Anastasia Gasanova faced down three match points in the second-set tiebreak against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach her first WTA quarterfinal in an all-Russian second-round derby in St. Petersburg.
Photo by Jimmie48/WTA
20
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Sara Sorribes Tormo became the first player to win from match point down twice in 2021 when she came from 1-5 down in the third set, saving two match points at 3-5 and 4-5, to beat Bernarda Pera 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 in the first round of Miami.
Photo by Miami Open/Peter Staples
21
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Playing outside Australia for the first time in 13 months, Ashleigh Barty trailed World No.149 Kristina Kucova 2-5 in the third set in round two of Miami - but fired a return winner to save one match point at 4-5, and came through 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
Photo by Getty Images
22
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Aryna Sabalenka trailed Tsvetana Pironkova 0-6, 1-3 in round two of Miami, but saved two match points in an epic third-set tiebreak and won 0-6, 6-3, 7-6(9) on her fourth.
Photo by Miami Open/Peter Staples
23
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The second round of Miami saw Nina Stojanovic squander a 5-2 lead and four set points in the first set against Yulia Putintseva, but come from 2-5 down and save two match points at 4-5 in the second to win 5-7, 7-5, 6-2.
Photo by Miami Open/Peter Staples
24
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Maria Sakkari saved six match points against Jessica Pegula in the fourth round of Miami, five at 4-5 in the decider and one in the tiebreak, to win 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(6). Sakkari struck clean winners on five of those.
Photo by Getty Images
25
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In round one of Charleston 2, Nao Hibino lost a 7-5, 5-1 lead and two match points at 5-4 against Misaki Doi, but saved five down 2-5 in the third and progressed 7-5, 5-7, 6-6 ret., when Doi retired due to muscle cramps.
Photo by MUSC Health Women's Open/Chris Smith
26
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For the second time in 2021, Elina Svitolina defeated Petra Kvitova from a set down, saving two match points at 2-5 and 4-5 in the second set before winning their Stuttgart quarterfinal 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-2.
Photo by Jimmie48/WTA
27
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Jil Teichmann came from 0-2 down in the second set and 1-5 down in the third, saving six match points (four at 2-5 and two at 5-6), before upsetting Elina Svitolina 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) in round one of Madrid.
Photo by Getty Images
28
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Iga Swiatek won from match point down for the first time in a WTA main draw in the third round of Rome, saving two down 5-6 in set two before beating Barbora Krejcikova 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-5.
Photo by Jimmie48/WTA
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