10 of the best wins from match point down in 2022: No 6: Maria beats Ostapenko, Wimbledon, fourth round
In part six of our 10-part series at the best escapes of 2022, we examine Tatjana Maria’s win from two match points down against Jelena Ostapenko at Wimbledon
Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 3, 2022 Germany’s Tatjana Maria celebrates winning her fourth round match against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko (AI/Reuters/Panoramic)
In 2022, a total of 140 matches on the ATP/WTA Tours were won from match point down; 81 on the men’s side and 59 on the women’s side. Two men – Jannik Sinner and Dominic Thiem – did it four times while two women – Petra Kvitova and Jessica Pegula managed it on a Tour-topping three occasions.
Tennis Majors has picked out 10 of the best of those 140 matches, where one player escaped from the jaws of defeat to claim an unlikely victory.
No 6: Wimbledon, fourth round: Tatjana Maria beats Jelena Ostapenko 5-7, 7-5, 7-5
Mother of two Maria comes back for stunning victory
The then 34-year-old Maria had already upset the odds when she beat fifth seed Maria Sakkari in the previous round.
But when she trailed former French Open champion – and junior Wimbledon winner – Jelena Ostapenko by a set and 4-1, her great run looked over.
But the Spaniard was not done and she roared back, saving two match points at 5-4 down in the second set, one with a good combination and then a big serve, and then holding her nerve in a tense third to win it 7-5 for victory and a place in the quarter-finals of a slam for the first time.
