Marta Kostyuk Vs Elsa Jacquemot Makes Australian Open History With Three Tie-Breaks

Last Updated:January 18, 2026, 12:26 IST

Marta Kostyuk vs Elsa Jacquemot at Australian Open sets Open Era record with three tie-breaks. Jacquemot advances to face Yulia Putintseva next.

Marta Kostyuk hits a return against France's Elsa Jacquemot (Picture credit: AFP)

The first-round encounter between Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk and France’s Elsa Jacquemot at the Australian Open on Sunday, January 18, became the first women’s singles match at the tournament in the Open Era to be decided through three tie-breaks. Jacquemot ended up stunning Kostyuk in the marathon match.

The Open Era in tennis began in 1968, when Grand Slams agreed to open their events to permit professional players to compete with amateurs.

Before 1968, only amateurs were permitted to compete in Grand Slams and other events organised or sanctioned by the ILTF, including the Davis Cup.

Coming into the Australian Open on the back of a runner-up finish at the Brisbane International last week, one expected Kostyuk to go the distance in the tournament, but Jacquemot came out of the syllabus for her.

Although Kostyuk won the first set 7-6 (7-4), the French international won the second set by the same margin, only to win the decider 7-6 (10-7).

Kostyuk, despite an ankle injury, pushed through the three-and-a-half-hour-long battle.

Jacquemot was eliminated in the second round of the US Open and Wimbledon and in the third round of the French Open in 2025.

Jacquemot will next take on Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva in the second round on Wednesday. The latter had defeated Jacquemot at Hamburg back in 2023.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev recovered from a shaky start to advance to the second round on the opening day of the Australian Open, with top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka all set to enter the fray.

Also in action later at a hot and sunny Melbourne is 45-year-old Venus Williams, who will become the oldest woman ever at the Grand Slam.

Defeated by Jannik Sinner in last year’s final, third seed Zverev looked on the verge of imploding as he dropped the opening set to Canada’s world No. 41 Gabriel Diallo in a tie-break.

However, Zverev regrouped to bag a 6-7 (1/7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win on Rod Laver Arena and will next face either home favourite Alexei Popyrin or France’s Alexandre Muller.

News sports tennis Marta Kostyuk Vs Elsa Jacquemot Makes Australian Open History With Three Tie-Breaks

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