Saluting Maya: Joint's jumping again as Wimbledon looms
Teenage sensation Maya Joint has earned an epic, backs-to-the-wall maiden grass-court triumph at the Eastbourne International to give Australia's challenge at Wimbledon the perfect launch pad.
The remarkable US-born 19-year-old, who's been making a stratospheric rise in the sport since relocating to Queensland less than two years ago, saved four match points on her way to defeating fellow rising star Alexandra Eala in a pulsating tiebreak finale on Saturday (Sunday AEST).
It meant Joint became the first Australian player to win the women's title in the 50-year history of the British seaside event which has become the traditional curtain raiser for the grass-court grand slam which begins on Monday.
"It's been an amazing year, an amazing two years," beamed Joint at Devonshire Park, while saluting the Aussie coach Chris Mahony she credits for transforming her career.
"Thank you for everything you've done. You're a lifesaver," she told him on court.
The astonishing 6-4 1-6 7-6 (12-10) win rocketed Brisbane-based Joint, who only turned 19 in April, to No.41 in the world when she kicks off her maiden Wimbledon with a tough opener against Russian No.19 seed Liudmila Samsonova on Tuesday.
"I'm very happy right now, feeling very relieved as well. It was a very difficult match. In that third set, and I'm proud of myself for coming back and staying in the match, even though I'd lost about nine of the last 10 games," said Joint.
She had been 5-2 down, and almost out, in the final breaker, having to come up with fabulous defensive scrabbling to stay in contention as Eala came agonisingly close to becoming the Philippines' first ever WTA champion.
But the teenage daughter of former Sydney squash professional Michael Joint demonstrated real courage and calm in a terrific showdown which, after a nervy spell from both players as they both homed in on the title, really hit the heights in the youngest final since Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger in 1981.
For Eala, who's become a young heroine in the Philippines, it was all so crushing after Joint sealed the deal with a backhand cross-court winner that the 20-year-old ended in tears, with the Australian trying to console her that "we will definitely play in more finals".
Remarkably, Joint's run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open five weeks ago also came on the weekend before a grand slam, and she then got knocked out in the first round by Ajla Tomljanovic.
"It's really great preparation. I've got a lot of matches in before Wimbledon, and hopefully I can be in Wimbledon a little bit longer than I was in the French," said Joint.
"I think this time's a tiny bit different. I get one more day of rest, and I'll just detach myself a little bit more from the last match, and just focus on the match coming up.
"But I'm just really excited to get to London later today, and step into Wimby for the first time."
Of Samsonova, a tough customer who's reached the last-16 in three grand slams, Joint shrugged: "I haven't played her before, so I don't know too much about her.
"When I get to Wimbledon, I'll just take a walk around, have some strawberries and cream - I love strawberries and cream."
The news quickly spread to the youngster's friends and colleagues at Wimbledon 120km north of the seaside town, leaving Daria Kasatkina, who won the tournament last year before she switched her allegiance to Australia, delighted for her Eastbourne hitting partner.
"I practised with her before Eastbourne, and she actually had a little struggle playing on grass, and I could see she was a bit, let's say, depressed about the practice," revealed the woman who's Australia's No.1 ahead of Joint.
"But you already saw she won a title this year, and she's got great potential. She's also a very nice girl, hard-working girl. I mean, she's got everything - and I'm happy for her to having this success already so early."
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