By Tennis Now | Sunday, February 3, 2019
Down a double break at 2-5 in the decisive set, Dayana Yastremska was one game from elimination when she took decisive action.
The teenager took a dramatic pause then doubled her effort.
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Yastremska took a medical timeout then reeled off four of the last five games edging Ajla Tomljanovic, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (3), to capture her second career title at the inaugural Thailand Open in Hua Hin.
It is the 18-year-old Yastremska's second WTA title in her last five main-draw appearances. She dedicated the title to her mother, who was home in the Ukraine watching.
Snatching a title that seemed out of her reach minutes earlier, will propel the 47th-ranked Ukrainian inside the Top 40 for the first time when the new WTA rankings are released tomorrow.
Spare a thought for Tomljanovic, who twice served for the title, but could not close falling to 0-4 in WTA finals.
Seeing Yastremska moving freely after returning from the medical time-out did not alleviate Tomljanovic's frustration with what seemed a tactical break.
That medical timeout was a major twist in a topsy-turvy final set.
The eighth-seeded Yastremska broke for a 2-0 lead, but Tomljanovic stormed through five consecutive games building a seemingly commanding 5-2 lead.
Four points from her first career WTA title, Tomljanovic stalled.
After the timeout, Yastremska broke twice surging through four games in a row. Tomljanovic double faulted to drop serve and fall to 5-all.
Serving at 5-6, the sixth-seeded Aussie held to force the tie breaker.
Again, Tomljankovic took a lead and again Yastremska erased it.
A fine drop shot and forehand down the line gave Tomljanovic a 3-2 lead in the tie breaker.
On this day, every time Yastremska was down she came roaring back.
Exploiting her jittery opponent's sixth double fault, Yastremska went up 4-3 in the breaker then banged a big serve down the T and earned championship point when Tomljanovic netted a backhand.
Firing a forehand crosscourt, Yastremska closed it falling to the court in triumph completing a week in which she toppled top-seeded Garbiñe Muguruza and permitted just one set in five tournament victories.