It might not have been billed as a headliner, but the battle between Lesia Tsurenko and Ana Bogdan was the kind of contest that deserved to take centre court at Wimbledon.
In an epic encounter, Tsurenko beat Bogdan in a 38-point third set tie-break to advance through to the third round 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (20-18).
It represented a new record for the longest tie-break in a women’s Grand Slam match.
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The enthralling final set lasted 109 minutes and saw Tsurenko survive five match points while Bogdan survived six of her own before she eventually succumbed.
The tie-break itself lasted more than 35 minutes.
In the end, the winner from Ukraine was left cramping and limped to the net to meet her Romanian opponent who was visibly struggling too.
“Lesia Tsurenko – what a year of course it has been for the Ukranians, more than a year now as well,” said Mark Petchey on Stan Sport’s Grand Slam Daily.
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“She was at Indian Wells, had to pull out against (Aryna) Sabalenka with a panic attack. Couldn’t take to the court, she was withdrawn or retired from matches more than anybody else because of everything that’s been going on.
“Comes through a three-hour, 40-minute absolute epic. (Ana) Bogdan served for the match, she had five match points, Tsurenko gets it done on her seventh. The longest tie-breaker in Grand Slam history.
“She was cramping at the end. I don’t know whether she’s going to turn up for her next match or not, but I don’t care, because it was an indelible image.”
The match also tied the record for the longest women’s match this season at three hours and 40 minutes, which was also achieved by Liudmila Samsonova and Lena Papadakis in the first round of Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
With the win, Tsurenko is slated to face America’s Jess Pegula in the third round.
Pegula, the fourth seed at Wimbledon this year, claimed a 6-4, 6-0 win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the second round.
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