Aussie Qualifier Saves Match Points to Reach Open Round 3

When Maddison Inglis found herself in a 10-point tiebreak to decide her Australian Open fate, she made a simple choice: take it one point at a time.

The 168th-ranked qualifier from Western Australia had just battled German veteran Laura Siegemund for over 3 hours. Fatigue and nerves were setting in, but Inglis refused to let the moment overwhelm her.

"I wanted it so bad. I was nervous," Inglis admitted after her 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 victory. She raced to a 9-5 lead in the deciding tiebreak, giving herself four match points as the Melbourne Park crowd roared.

But Siegemund, a 37-year-old veteran, wasn't done. She clawed back two match points before Inglis finally sealed the win with an overhead backhand volley at 9-7.

The Australian immediately collapsed to the court as emotion flooded through her. Her fiancé and fellow tennis pro Jason Kubler watched from the stands as she secured the biggest win of her season.

The match had swung back and forth like a pendulum. Inglis served for the match in the second set but got broken, then watched Siegemund dominate the tiebreak that followed.

In the third set, Siegemund served for the match at 5-4. That's when Inglis showed the fighting spirit that defines her career, breaking back and shifting momentum her way.

Why This Inspires

Inglis is now the last Australian woman standing in the tournament after six started the second round. She's reached the third round at Melbourne Park for just the second time in her career, matching her 2022 breakthrough.

Her journey hasn't been easy. "Tennis is brutal," she reflected after the win. "You have some incredible moments and some really, really hard ones."

Those words carry weight from someone who has faced cruel setbacks throughout her career. But surrounded by supporters who told her to "keep believing and just back yourself," Inglis fought through doubt and exhaustion.

Next up is 16th seed Naomi Osaka, but for now, Inglis is savoring a victory that almost slipped away. She's proof that staying in the fight, one point at a time, can lead to moments worth collapsing to the ground for.