Siegemund triumphs in the fourth longest match of Open Era

Laura Siegemund made history at the Thailand Open Hua Hin on Wednesday after triumphing 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(1) over No.5 seed Wang Xiyu to reach the quarterfinals in 4 hours and 9 minutes.

Hua Hin 2: Scores | Draws | Order of play

The 36-year-old German's win was the fourth longest tour-level match of the Open Era and the first to break the four-hour mark since Francesca Schiavone defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 in 4 hours and 44 minutes in the 2011 Australian Open fourth round. 

Siegemund trailed 3-1 in the first set and led 5-3 in the decider before Wang won three games on the trot. However, from 6-5 down she won nine of the last 10 points, dominating the third-set tiebreak.

Photos: All of 2024's three-hour matches

"It was really tough, because first of all the physical conditions were tough," Siegemund said afterward. "In the first set I felt it wasn't that hot, but in the second and third sets it got really hot and we had longer rallies.

"She's a great young player. She found good solutions to keep putting me into longer rallies and that made it harder. She sometimes played off-pace where I needed to create the energy and play aggressive. But overall I'm really happy with how I endured and how I lasted.

"I tried to feel the moment, feel what I need to make the opponent struggle. I think I did a good variation today. Maybe sometimes it was not aggressive enough, I wish to see more of that. But in this kind of match you will have ups and downs, and most likely the reason is physical. So to bounce back from that and stay mentally strong is important."

Siegemund will have a much-needed day off before she faces either No.3 seed Wang Xinyu or Rebeka Masarova in the quarterfinals on Friday.

The 16 longest matches of the Open Era (as of Sep. 18, 2024)

1. Vicki Nelson-Dunbar d. Jean Hepner 6-4, 7-6(11), 1984 Richmond R1 (6:31)
2. Francesca Schiavone d. Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 1-6, 16-14, 2011 Australian Open R4 (4:44)
3. Barbora Strycova d. Regina Kulikova 7-6(5), 6-7(10), 6-3, 2010 Australian Open R1 (4:19)
4. Laura Siegemund d. Wang Xiyu 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(1), 2024 Hua Hin 2 R2 (4:09)
5. Virginie Buisson d. Noelle Van Lottum 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-2, 1995 Roland Garros R1 (4:07)
=6. Kerry Melville Reid d. Pam Teeguarden 7-6(7), 4-6, 16-14, 1972 Roland Garros R3 (3:55)
=6. Kristina Kucova d. Ekaterine Gorgodze 6-7(4), 7-6(7), 7-6(3), 2021 Gdynia QF (3:55)
8. Sara Sorribes Tormo d. Camila Osorio 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-3, 2022 Cleveland R1 (3:54)
9. Lesia Tsurenko d. Kamilla Rakhimova 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-5, 2022 Budapest R2 (3:53)
10. Martina Trevisan d. Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-4, 2021 Indian Wells R1 (3:52)
=11. Sara Sorribes Tormo d. Camila Giorgi 7-6(4), 6-7, 7-5, 2021 Rome R1 (3:51)
=11. Beatriz Haddad Maia d. Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-5, 2023 Roland Garros R4 (3:51)
13. Francesca Schiavone d. Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-7(11), 7-5, 10-8, 2015 Roland Garros R2 (3:50)
14. Karolina Pliskova d. Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 4-6, 16-14, 2016 Billie Jean King Cup F (3:48)
15. Monica Seles d. Gabriela Sabatini 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 1990 WTA Finals F (3:47)
16. Chanda Rubin d. Patricia Hy-Boulais 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 17-15, 1995 Wimbledon R2 (3:45)