New York (AFP)
Croatian Donna Vekic, 23rd in the world, qualified for her first Grand Slam quarter-final on Monday by beating Julia Görges (30th) 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-4 after saving a ball of match.
"I do not even know how I won ... she served for the match and had a match point on her serve" at 5-4 in the second set, commented Vekic.
But the German has been very nervous and has multiplied the faults both service and exchange in this game, leaving Vekic level at 5-5 and win the round 7-5 by winning three games in a row .
"It served very well but I knew I had the advantage in the exchange, so I had to return to service," said Vekic.
In the next round, the 23-year-old Croatian will face Belinda Bencic (12th) who eliminated defending champion Naomi Osaka.
Vekic had never passed the third round at Flushing Meadows, which she reached in 2017, and her best result in Grand Slam remained until the 8th finals at Wimbledon in 2018 and Roland Garros this year.
© 2019 AFP