Comeback of the year? Maya Joint saves three match points and 5-1 second set deficit for implausible triumph

Everything seemed to be going wrong for Maya Joint in the Korea Open. On the brink of a top 100 departure, she found herself 6-2, 5-1 down against the World No.284 Xinxin Yao. She would save three match points to complete the most remarkable of comebacks, somehow turning the tables to win 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-3 to advance into the second round.

From the off, Joint was in bother. Yao took a double-break lead as she stormed out into a 4-1 lead. Joint managed to get one of the breaks back, but that deficit was once again increased as Yao looked to serve it out. Two break points came and went with the Chinese eventually getting over the line.

The breaks kept coming as they traded them at the start of the second set. That is when Yao put on the afterburners. She won the next four games and led 5-1 having dropped just three games in the entire match against the two-time WTA title winner.

However, Joint kept fighting, knowing how important this tournament is. She survived a match point to make the score 5-2 but was still a double breakdown. However, the Yao game started to falter, and Joint capitalised.

Another match point was saved at 5-4 as Joint broke for the second time in three games, incredibly level at 5-5. Yao earned another chance to serve it out and even led 30-0, but four consecutive points by Joint forced a tiebreak. The third and final match winning opportunity came and went as Joint converted a second set point to force what seemed like the most unlikely of deciders at 5-1 down.

Joint seized the initiative early but could not hold onto it after being broken back to love. As Yao went 3-2 to the good, Joint made a break for it. Despite facing break points in her final two service games, the young WTA talent rebuffed them and took her chances to win the final four games and complete a contender for comeback of the year.

Joint was not just under cosh in the match but in the rankings as well. She reached the semi-finals of this event last year when she was making her breakthrough in the sport, but the 20-year-old Aussie has since had a 2026 to forget. Injury problems linked to inconsistent and poor form had seen her fall from grace seemingly overnight with work to do to get back up the order with her sitting 99th in the world.

That starts with damage limitation in the South Korean capital. The No.5 seed was the big favourite to prevail against the Chinese qualifier despite her negative displays. When in the main draw of a WTA tournament, she has only won more than one match twice, coming at the start of the year in Adelaide and recently in Toronto.

This is why the most recent win she secured is so pivotal. She will take on wildcard Dayeon Back in the second round, another match that she should prevail in. However, Joint has learned not to take anything for granted and will hope to not make the same mistake this time round.