Young Australian makes history with Wimbledon warm-up title win
Maya Joint has rubber-stamped her status as Australia's next big tennis star with a historic second WTA title in barely a month ahead of her Wimbledon debut.
The talented 19-year-old staved off four championship points in a captivating and high-quality final-set tie-breaker – including rallying from two mini-breaks down at 2-5 – to outlast left-handed Filipino Alexandra Eala in the Eastbourne final.
One last backhand winner sealed a roller-coaster 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) victory for Joint, who fell to the Eastbourne grass in triumph as she became the first Australian champion in the British event's 50-year history.
Eala, 20, was inconsolable at the other end after losing the youngest Eastbourne final by combined age since 1981.
'I'm very happy right now, and feeling very relieved as well,' Joint said.
'It was a very difficult match. I'm proud of myself for coming back and staying in the match ... I'm glad I was able to find a way back into the match.
'It's a really great preparation. I got a lot of matches leading into Wimbledon, so hopefully I can be in Wimbledon a little bit longer than I was in French, but I'm just really excited to get to London today and step foot in 'Wimby' for the first time.'
Joint, who will rise to a career-high No.41 on Monday after starting last year barely inside the top 700, lost in the first round at Roland-Garros a day after capturing the Morocco Open title in Rabat.
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