This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Daria Gavrilova has suffered US Open heartbreak, losing the longest women’s match in history at Flushing Meadows, a three-hour, 33-minute epic. The 25th seed fought off four match points before succumbing 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) to big-hitting American Shelby Rogers in their gruelling second-round contest.

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Gavrilova showcased her signature fighting spirit in a high-quality and rollercoaster encounter featuring 11 service breaks, 76 winners, 111 unforced errors , a 90-minute deciding set and a warm embrace between the two exhausted combatants at the net.

Riding high after claiming her maiden WTA Tour title in New Haven on Sunday, Gavrilova had been enjoying a six-match winning streak heading into the clash. But it was clear from the outset she would have her hands full against the 2016 French Open quarter-finalist.

Three times Gavrilova fought back from a break down to force the first-set tiebreaker. She successfully challenged a line call to save one set point but eventually relented to Rogers’ unyielding power play to drop the opening set after 68 minutes.

Australia’s 25th seed again had to come from behind in the second set, going down an early break to trail 2-0 before levelling up to stay in the contest. On the brink of defeat, Gavrilova saved break point with a brave second-serve ace down the middle to avoid going down 5-3 and giving Rogers the chance to serve out the match.

Perhaps rattled, the American double-faulted and then pulled a backhand wide to instead gift Gavrilova the chance to close out the set, which she calmly did to tie the match up.

Gavrilova led 4-2 in the decider and had two break-point chances to go up 5-2. In a big turning point, she couldn’t convert and the 2010 US Open junior champion needed to courageously battle back from love-40 down serving at 4-5 to stay alive.

Gavrilova staved off one more match point in the topsy-turvy tiebreaker before finally submitting. The defeat leaves Ashleigh Barty as Australia’s last hope in the women’s singles event in New York. She plays American Sloane Stephens on Saturday morning (AEST) for a place in the fourth round.

In the men’s draw, John Millman continued his blazing run to charge into the third round and earn himself the opportunity of a lifetime.

Australia’s last man standing backed up his upset defeat of Nick Kyrgios with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-1), 6-1 dismissal of Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri to make the last 32 in New York for the first time.



Millman next plays either German Philipp Kohlschreiber or Colombian Santiago Giraldo – both unseeded – for a $US144,000 ($A181,080) pay day and coveted spot in the second week of the season’s final grand slam event.