Maya Joint digs deep at Eastbourne Open to beat Alexandra Eala for maiden grass-court title
The US-born 19-year-old, who has been making a stratospheric rise in the sport since relocating to Queensland less than two years ago, saved four match points on her way to defeating fellow rising star Alexandra Eala in a pulsating tie-break finale on Sunday (AEST).
It meant Joint became the first Australian player to win the women's title in the 50-year history of the British seaside event, which has become the traditional curtain raiser for the grass-court grand slam, which begins on Monday.
"It's been an amazing year, an amazing two years," Joint said at Devonshire Park, while saluting Aussie coach Chris Mahony, who she credits with transforming her career.
"Thank you for everything you've done. You're a lifesaver."
The astonishing 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (12/10) win will rocket Brisbane-based Joint, who only turned 19 in April, to number 41 in the world when she kicks off her maiden Wimbledon with a tough opener against Russian number 19 seed Liudmila Samsonova on Tuesday.
"I'm very happy right now, feeling very relieved as well. It was a very difficult match," Joint said.
"I'm proud of myself for coming back and staying in the match, even though I'd lost about nine of the last 10 games."
Joint had been 5-2 down, and almost out, in the final breaker, having to come up with fabulous defensive scrabbling to stay in contention as Eala came agonisingly close to becoming the Philippines's first ever WTA champion.
But the teenage daughter of former Sydney squash professional Michael Joint demonstrated real courage and calm in a terrific showdown which, after a nervy spell from both players as they both homed in on the title, really hit the heights in the youngest final since Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger in 1981.
For Eala, who has become a young heroine in the Philippines, it was all so crushing after Joint sealed the deal with a backhand cross-court winner that the 20-year-old was in tears, with the Australian trying to console her that "we will definitely play in more finals".
Remarkably, Joint's run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open five weeks ago also came on the weekend before a grand slam, and she then got knocked out in the first round by Ajla Tomljanović.
"It's really great preparation. I've got a lot of matches in before Wimbledon, and hopefully I can be in Wimbledon a little bit longer than I was in the French," Joint said.
"I think this time's a tiny bit different. I get one more day of rest, and I'll just detach myself a little bit more from the last match, and just focus on the match coming up.
"But I'm just really excited to get to London later today and step into Wimby for the first time."
AAP
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