At 36 years old, Laura Siegemund can look back on a long professional career in tennis. The German’s career includes a Grand Slam title in doubles and two major successes in mixed doubles, and on Wednesday the right-hander once again created a historic moment.
In the round of 16 of the WTA tournament in Hua Hin, Thailand, Laura Siegemund (number 99 in the world rankings) defeated the fifth-seeded Chinese Xiyu Wang (number 62 in the world rankings) in three sets with 7:6, 4:6 and 7:6. What is particularly unusual, however, is the length of the match: Siegemund converted the first match point of the match after 4 hours and 9 minutes.
It was the first duel at tour level that lasted longer than four hours since 2011, when Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova and Italian Francesca Schiavone fought a battle lasting 4 hours and 44 minutes at the Australian Open.
In the Open Era since 1968, only the match between Vicky Nelson-Dunbar and Jean Hepner lasted longer, which lasted 6:31 at the 1984 WTA event in Richmond. The match also featured the longest rally in a women’s match, lasting 29 minutes.
“It was a really good match”
Barbora Strycova and Regia Kulikova also finished ahead of Siegemund with a time of 4 hours 19 minutes. The match took place in 2010 at the Australian Open.
Siegemund, who had to fend off three set balls in the first set and take an injury break in the decisive round when the score was 5:5, joins Wang in fourth position.
“It was a really good match,” said the visibly exhausted Siegemund after the game: “We fought hard and I’m happy to have emerged as the winner.”
Siegemund will now face the winner of the duel between China’s Xinyu Wang (number 52 in the world rankings) and Rebeka Masarova from Spain (number 119 in the world rankings).
There is also positive news from a German perspective from the talents Ella Seidel and Diego Dedura Palomero.
Seidel (number 138 in the world rankings) is in the round of 16 in Pazardzhik (Bulgaria/W75) after a 6:1 and 6:3 win against the Ukrainian Yelyzaveta Kotliar (number 1212 in the world rankings), Dedura-Palomero (number 760 in the world rankings) moved into the last 16 after a 6:3 and 6:3 win against the Czech Jakub Filip (number 796 in the world rankings) in Pardubice (Czech Republic/M15).
Source: www.sport.de
