History was made on Court 17 today as Johanna Konta and Garbine Muguruza played the longest women's match in US Open history, clocking in a total of 203 minutes in three sets. It was the ninety-seventh ranked player who prevailed to pull off the upset ultimately with a scoreline of 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 6-2.
Konta edges first set
The Spaniard started proceedings with an extremely solid service game, and followed it up by putting pressure on the Brit's serve by creating a break point opportunity. Konta held on however, and converted her shaky start into fuel for Muguruza's next game, garnering two break point opportunities but failing to capitalize on either. Konta then held her serve to love and the pressure was definitely shifted on the ninth seed, who found herself having to battle against four more break point opportunities in a challenging service game. Not only was the match getting more tense, we were also seeing some exquisite hitting from both players: Muguruza hit a total seventeen winners in the first set alone, whilst Konta hit sixteen.
Konta applied the pressure soundly, and broke Muguruza in the seventh game of the set—this was the only break point she was able to convert out of the nine opportunities she had in the set. Muguruza was not going to let up easily, however, and she steered some focus back by breaking Konta in the tenth game to level things and consolidate with her serve. After the British player held her serve, the players were headed to a tiebreak.
The tiebreak remained on serve until 2-2, which was the turning point as Konta hit a backhand winner to grasp a mini break from her opponent. Muguruza was able to get the mini break back immediately, but seemed just a bit more on edge as she gifted the break back once again with a backhand unforced error on her own serve. Konta consolidated on her serve and took the tiebreak 7-4.
Muguruza fights back
Konta was to start proceedings in the second set, and did so convincingly with a good service hold to showcase her commitment. Muguruza replied with a love hold, and this definitely got under the ninety seventh ranked player's skin. She was down 0-40 in the next game due to two unforced errors, but clawed her way back to save all three break point opportunities. The extremely challenging game was ultimately won by Konta as Muguruza was unable to convert any of the four break opportunities that she had.
Both players then served relatively well and were able to hold until game nine, where Konta double faulted and hit an unforced error. Muguruza also hit two wonderful winners during the game to break her opponent, but ended up gifting the break back to Konta by serving a double fault of her own in the very next game. Both players held their serves once more each to take the second set into another tiebreak.
It seemed as if Muguruza's match was done and dusted as she hit another double fault to give Konta her first mini break at 1-2. However the momentum was swinging ferociously as Konta hit an unforced error immediately to give the mini break back. Muguruza then held both her serves to go up 4-3, and Konta surprisingly served a double fault to let Muguruza go up 5-3. In a reversal of fortune, ultimately it was the Spaniard who took the tiebreak 7-4, taking the match into its third set.
Konta caps off the upset
Despite the tense up and down nature of the match, the final set was not a nerve wracking showdown like the preceding sets. Konta played some brilliant tennis and Muguruza went flat in the latter's first service game, and what entailed was another double fault to provide the break. Konta consolidated, and added insult to injury by breaking Muguruza again to clinch a 3-0 lead.
The Spaniard attempted to make a comeback in the fourth game by taking her opponent to deuce and gaining a break point opportunity, but failed to convert. Her next service game was extremely tough as she had to save multiple break points, but she held on to finally get herself on the board. Konta once again found it tough to hold serve in another deuce situation, but held her nerve to pull through. After Muguruza held for the second time, Konta served out the match without much trouble to cause one of the biggest upsets of her career.
The British player can be extremely pleased with her performance in taking out the recent Wimbledon finalist. She will next play Germany's nineteenth seed in the third round, Andrea Petkovic.