Longest US Open match in historical past headlines greatest Slam comebacks of 2024 | ATP Tour

Better of 2024

Longest US Open match in historical past headlines greatest Slam comebacks of 2024

Medvedev, Kokkinakis earn thrilling wins

December 05, 2024

To mark the top of one other thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual ‘Greatest Of’ sequence, which can replicate on probably the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and extra. Right now we relive the 5 greatest Grand Slam comebacks this season.

5) Australian Open R2, Daniil Medvedev d. Emil Ruusuvuori 3-6, 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-0
With dawn approaching in Melbourne, Daniil Medvedev prevented an early upset by rallying from two units to like down, a place he would once more win from within the semi-finals towards Alexander Zverev.
It might have been straightforward for Medvedev to deflate after dropping a topsy-turvy, 83-minute second set towards Emil Ruusuvuori. However the 20-time tour-level titlist did simply the other, clawing his method again to finally win at 3:40 a.m.

“This one is for certain going to remain in my reminiscence,” Medvedev mentioned after the four-hour, 23-minute triumph.

The 28-year-old confirmed some early indicators of backhand rust in his first match of the season. “I used to be lacking all over,” he later assessed. However Medvedev matched the clear hitting of the Finn and raised his stage in necessary moments, comparable to when he was two factors from defeat at 4-5 within the fourth set.

Moments later, he raced by way of the fourth-set tie-break to stage at two units all and asserted his dominance within the decider as Ruusuvuori started to wrestle bodily.

Medvedev elected to make use of the identical racquet from the third set onwards, as an alternative of utilizing the ball change as a reference to seize a brand new stick from his bag, the strategy of many gamers.

“I lastly discovered one the place I felt like I used to be taking part in higher. Typically it’s simply one thing you create in your thoughts,” Medvedev mentioned. “I stayed with this racquet. I began with it originally of the third set and stayed with it till the top of the match.”

4) US Open R2, Jiri Lehecka d. Mitchell Krueger 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5
On the US Open, Jiri Lehecka was competing in simply his second match since struggling a again harm in April in Madrid. It appeared as if the dearth of matches was catching as much as the 22-year-old towards American qualifier Mitchell Krueger.

The Czech dropped 11 consecutive video games from 6-5 within the first set and immediately, he was three video games from exiting the season’s remaining main.

However the thirty second seed raised his aggression and heavy hitting, placing 67 winners throughout the match, to earn his first win from two units to like down in a single minute shy of 4 hours on a sizzling New York afternoon. Lehecka improved to 4-1 in 5 setters.

Jiri Lehecka survives Mitchell Krueger.” fashion=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/photos/information/2024/11/27/17/19/lehecka-us-open-2024-krueger.jpg”>
^{Jiri Lehecka in motion at Flushing Meadows. Credit score: Jamie Squire/Getty Photographs}

3) Wimbledon R1, Thanasi Kokkinakis d. Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 5-7, 7-6(9), 6-4, 6-4
On the subject of five-set epics, Thanasi Kokkinakis is effectively versed. This season alone, the Australian performed 5 matches on the majors that went the space, and he got here out on high in all however one. In opposition to Seventeenth-seed Felix Auger-Aliassime at Wimbledon, Kokkinakis raced to a 5/0 lead within the third-set tie-break however misplaced six factors in a row to face match level. The Canadian let slip 4 match factors within the tie-break, fuelling Kokkinakis’ two-sets-to-love-comeback, his second this season.

“I simply do no matter it takes,” Kokkinakis mentioned. “Clearly I might have moderately carried out it simpler, however I had a few lapses of focus within the first two units. I knew I used to be not too distant, however I simply misplaced my focus.”

The work was removed from completed after the dramatic tie-break. The primary-round match was suspended resulting from darkness at 1-1 within the fourth set. Then, the 28-year-old overcame a nervy night time of sleep, nonetheless one set from defeat.

After 4 hours and 38 minutes of play, and a handful of rain delays, Kokkinakis scored his first of two Prime 20 wins this season (d. Tsitsipas, US Open R1). The Adelaide native lifted his arms within the air earlier than pounding his chest together with his racquet and cracking a big smile in the direction of his field, which included former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt.

Thanasi Kokkinakis celebrates his epic Wimbledon first-round victory.” fashion=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/photos/information/2024/11/27/17/36/kokkinakis-wimbledon-felix-2024.jpg”>
^{Thanasi Kokkinakis celebrates his epic Wimbledon first-round victory. Credit score: Ben Stansall/AFP by way of Getty Photographs}

2) Wimbledon R1, Tomas Machac d. David Goffin 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(5)
On the identical day Kokkinakis accomplished his comeback, the London magic unfold all through the SW19 grounds. Tomas Machac rallied from 0-5 within the fifth set towards David Goffin, marking the primary comeback of that sort since 1993. It was a drastic change of occasions for Machac, who was initially scheduled to face Andy Murray on Centre Courtroom earlier than the previous World No. 1 within the PIF ATP Rankings’ withdrawal.

“This match will endlessly keep in thoughts,” Machac mentioned. “I used to be nonetheless making an attempt to play my sport and I used to be believing that not less than I might break him as soon as, and let’s have a look at what was going to occur after. I had the probabilities to interrupt him for the second time in a row and I took the possibility and utterly turned the match to my facet.”

The 23-year-old had his again towards the wall for a lot of the match, which was contested over two days. Goffin led 6-3, 4-2 earlier than play was suspended for the night. After falling behind two units to like, Machac trailed by a break on three separate events within the third set. Each males earned 9 service breaks within the three-hour, 17-minute match.

Goffin later avenged the tough Wimbledon loss with a straight-sets win towards Machac within the US Open third spherical.

1) US Open R1, Daniel Evans d. Karen Khachanov 6-7(6), 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4
It was a summer season of comebacks for Daniel Evans, who partnered Andy Murray on the Paris Olympics, the place they remarkably fought off seven match factors (5 within the first spherical, two within the second spherical) to succeed in the quarter-finals within the Scot’s remaining occasion.

The 34-year-old Evans once more featured in an unforgettable match at Flushing Meadows. He gained the longest match in US Open historical past, a five-hour, 35-minute thriller towards twenty third seed Karen Khachanov.

Historical past is made on the US Open 🤯

5 HOURS AND 35 MINUTES. Dan Evans and Karen Khachanov… 👏@usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/cbl3xtACfS

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 27, 2024

“It was a protracted, lengthy battle. It was kind of who might final the longest ultimately,” Evans mentioned. “I simply tried to scrape little by little. Every level I used to be clearly actually scuffling with my legs. On serve I used to be high-quality on return, in order that gave me a little bit of hope.”

For a second, it appeared the conflict wouldn’t make historical past. Khachanov surged to a 4-0 lead within the fifth set and earned 4 break factors on Evans’ serve, however was unable to transform. The Courtroom 6 crowd, raucous all through, urged Evans again into the match and roared with delight when he completed off the match, throughout which all 5 units lasted greater than an hour. The third set was the longest at 72 minutes.

Coming into the match, Evans owned simply 4 tour-level match wins this season and had not defeated a Prime 100 opponent since March in Miami. Extremely considered one of many sport’s fiercest opponents, Evans fought, and fought some extra, to enhance to 5-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head sequence with Khachanov, securing the largest Grand Slam comeback of 2024.

“I believe whenever you’re a child, you are simply instructed to battle till the top. I imply, that is kind of rule one,” Evans mentioned. “I’ve carried out that fairly constantly for my profession.”