Mon Jan 20 07:20:00 UTC 2025: ## American Navarro Wins Marathon Match at Australian Open
**Melbourne, Australia** – American Emma Navarro secured a hard-fought victory in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday, defeating compatriot Peyton Stearns in a thrilling three-set battle lasting 3 hours and 20 minutes. The match, the longest women’s match of the tournament so far, ended 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5, marking the first all-American women’s major match to go to a deciding set tiebreaker since 2005.
Navarro, a US Open semifinalist last year and seeded eighth in this tournament, described the match as “one of the more unique matches I’ve played in a while,” highlighting her grit and determination in overcoming a 5-3 deficit in the final set. Stearns proved a formidable opponent, pushing Navarro to her limits.
In other first-round action, Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, edged out Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) despite a high number of double faults and unforced errors. Raducanu attributed her win to strong returns and a willingness to go for her shots, acknowledging her serve was inconsistent. She will face Amanda Anisimova in the next round.
Elsewhere, sixth seed Elena Rybakina had a much easier time, defeating Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-1, and ninth seed Daria Kasatkina also advanced in straight sets, winning 6-1, 6-3 against Viktoriya Tomova.
First Piper 