The longest match of the 2018 WTA Season was definitely a classic — and certainly, no one would ever forget about this marathon thriller between world number one #SimonaHalep and the unseeded #LaurenDavis in the third round of the #AustralianOpen. Regarded as one of the best matches which happened on the biggest stages of the sport this year, it was a contest of two defensive players who had to grind out the win, with the ultimate question being: who wanted it more?
Halep came into the tournament being one of the huge favourites to hoist the trophy as the top-ranked player in the world, and the Romanian was determined to avoid the upset as the unheralded Davis put up an extremely tough fight; possibly playing the match of her life to extend the world number one to a marathon deciding set only to lose it 13-15 after failing to convert triple match points and falling victim to a broken toenail.
There were many lengthy and exhilarating rallies which saw both players struggling to catch their breaths, but still giving it their all as the crowd out on Rod Laver Arena gave a standing ovation to both players who put up a high-quality contest for three-hours and 44-minutes under the tricky humid conditions.
Seven double faults undid Davis’ hard work at times, as per her 73 unforced errors which proved costly on several occasions. Although the American also hit 52 winners, her high-risk play which saw her go for the lines and attempt to outhit her opponent backfired. Halep took advantage, relying on her clean and solid tennis to grab the narrow win having hit 27 winners to just 39 unforced errors. Halep defended 53 percent of her second serves, as compared to just 38 from Davis which could be said to be the deciding factor of the encounter.
Davis edges a step closer to completing the huge upset
It was relatively clear from the start — Davis was out to apply pressure on Halep and put up a tough challenge. The American got off to business immediately; being aggressive from the first point as she claimed a comfortable service hold before earning the first break point with some fearless tennis. Although Halep was able to fend off the early scare, the Romanian knew that she was in for a tough battle.
Just as the world number one always does, she needed some time to warm up to the occasion and find her groove. This was reflected in this encounter as well, with Halep soon showing who is the boss as her attempts to dictate play overwhelmed Davis at moments. A tight error from the unseeded American surprisingly saw her being broken first, gifting Halep the early 3-2 lead despite a bright start.
However, she was unable to hold onto the hard-fought lead as Halep immediately returned the favour with an unfortunate double fault on break point, levelling the scoreboard once again. The match was full of high-quality rallies but it was Davis who played some lights-out tennis at the crucial moments — firing a big forehand winner to claim the first set 6-4 after 40 minutes of action.
Halep fights back in style
The first set certainly provided rise to Davis’ confidence — starting the second set with a commanding service hold to assert her authority across the court. Nonetheless, Halep remained unfazed as the stern look on her face meant that she was determined to produce the comeback. The momentum completely shifted hands when Davis lost her serve from 40-15 up in the third game, sending in a double-fault to hand Halep the lead.
This time, Halep was able to consolidate the break to love and extend her advantage to two games, making it harder for the underdog to fight back. Just when most people thought Halep will run away with the set, Davis came out of nowhere to earn a break point in the sixth game, but she was unable to convert her chances.
The second set seemed to be all but over for Davis when she trailed 0-40 on serve at 2-4 down, although some inspired play saw the American fending off triple break points to remain in contention for the stunning straight-sets win. However, Halep remained flawless on serve and did not leave a loophole for her opponent to exploit, hence closing out the second frame 6-4 with a terrific defensive backhand.
Halep closes out the thriller
After a balanced start to the deciding set, it was Halep who seemed to have run away with the match after rattling off 10 consecutive points to open up a commanding 3-1 lead within a blink of an eye. It was a slight misfocus from Davis who saw her produce a series of unforced errors which put her at the brink of defeat.
Unexpectedly, it was Halep who could not overcome her mental barrier of closing out the lead as she failed to prevail in a marathon service game, which saw Davis capitalize on her opportunities to break back after several gruelling rallies. With the scores levelled at 4-4, it seemed like Halep had the match sealed in her hands — after Davis lost her serve for the fourth time in the morning which gave the Romanian the perfect chance to serve out the match.
It was the backhand wing which proved to be the liability for Halep, as the continuation of missed chances came for both players. The world number one was broken thrice while serving for the match and she was put in some real danger for the first time at 8-8. Davis fended off four break points in the 17th game — one with a powerful backhand, one with a fantastic defensive forehand, one with a huge forehand winner, and survived the last with a stunning backhand down-the-line winner.
Halep found herself trailing for the first time since the match went into “extra-time”, and the pressure weighed on her shoulders. Surprisingly, the eventual finalist handled those nerves well, despite being two points away from defeat and levelling the scores at 9-9 ultimately.
Serving down 10-11, Halep’s game finally broken down as she was quickly down triple match points within a flash. Consecutive winners for Davis set her up to close out the famous victory, but a broken toenail (which eventually required an immediate medical time-out) halted her progress and ultimately cost her the match.
Davis sent the first return long, though missing not by much, and failed to capitalize on a 119 km/h second serve on her second match point. Halep sent a world-class serve down-the-tee to return to deuce and proceeded to grab the confidence-boosting hold which made the difference in the outcome.
Davis may have lost, but not without a fight, as she bravely fought off five break points while serving at 11-11 despite her hampered movement. However, she put in a poor service game to be broken for 14-13, gifting Halep her fourth chance to serve out the match. This time around, the Romanian confidently closed out the win, heaving a sigh of relief after dismissing her inspired opponent after 224 minutes of play, the longest match of the year.
What they said: Davis reflects on missed opportunities, Halep delighted with win
This was arguably Davis’ best performance against a top-player throughout her career. The American may have defeated top-10 players in the past, but this performance deserves another level of appraisal as her passion and willpower could be clearly seen. “But, I mean, there is a lot to take away from that match. I played really, really well. Left all that I had out there on the court, and I did all that I could do. I think there is quite a few positives to take away from and to learn from, so things are looking up, I think.”
Despite the loss, Davis was treating the loss positively and she ought to be. It was such an encouraging performance (although Davis would go on a rout which saw her fall out of the world’s top-200, surprisingly), and the American thought so as well. “A ton of positives. There's a lot that I think I can work on going home, but I think after this I'm just gonna really focus on all that I did well and just how well I handled myself at this tournament and just how well I played, for sure.”
Grabbing the win after saving a match point is always something to be proud of, let alone saving three match points consecutively under such tough conditions. If there’s someone who is happy, there is no one other than Halep who deserved it the most. “Well, definitely it was a very tough match. It's the only one match that I played like this. You know, I was down also Love-40. She had three match balls. It was not easy, but I just kept playing. I just kept believing that it's not over, even if she's leading a little bit more. I gave everything I had today, and actually, I'm really proud that I could stay there and win it. It was not easy at all. She played great.”
If this was the 2017 Halep, I would dare to say that she would have lost the match at 10-11 down. However, the 2018 Halep is a much-improved version of herself, especially when it comes to mental strength having undergone so much emotional moments. “No, I think now I'm much stronger. Mentally, of course, I was talking a lot during the match. And yeah, I was a little bit frustrated because of the leg. I felt the pain all match, but I didn't give up. For sure I'm stronger mentally, and I could resist like for every moment in the match. That makes me very happy, and I think the big win is that I could handle it.”
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