Barbora Zahlavova Strykova of the Czech Republic and Russia’s Regina Kulikova created tennis history Tuesday playing the longest women’s match in the history of the Australian Open and the second longest match of all time.
Strykova won the first-round match, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (10-12), 6-3, in 4-hours-19 minutes, played over two days because of Monday’s rain in Melbourne. The previous longest women’s match at the Australian Open was a 3-hours, 33 minute match, a 6-4, 2-6, 16-14, victory by Chanda Rubin over Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the quarterfinals in 1996.
According to the authoritative book THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS ($35.95, New Chapter Press, www.NewChapterMedia.com), the 4:19 match is the second-longest women’s match of all-time, trailing only the epic and infamous six hour, 31-minute marathon played in the first round of the 1984 Virginia Slims of Richmond, Vicki Nelson Dunbar defeating Jean Hepner 6-4, 7-6 (13-11) with the tie-breaker alone lasting an hour and 47 minutes, one point lasting 29 minutes, a rally of 643 strokes.
According to Collins and his history book, the second longest women’s match of all-time was the 4:07 epic with Virginie Buisson defeating Noelle Van Lottum 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-2 in the 1995 French Open first round. The third longest was a three hour, 55 minute match where Kerry Melville Reid defeated Pam Teeguarden 7-6 (7), 4-6, 16-14 at the1972 French Open third round.