Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s number two, defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round of the US Open on Saturday.
The match began at 12:08 am, setting the record for the latest start of a men's or women's match in the history of the tournament.
The match finished at 1:48 a.m. It is tied for the second-latest finish for a women's singles match at the US Open
The 29th seed Alexandrova was defeated in the early hours of Saturday morning by last year’s runner-up with a 2-6 6-1 6-2.
Following 2-6 in the first set, the Australian Open champion made a strong comeback, winning the next two sets 6-1, 6-2 which allowed her to make a spot in the Round 16.
"I don't know what I did, I was just trying to stay low, put as many balls as I can back on that side. She played incredible tennis in the first set. It was really tough to change it," Sabalenka said.
The 26-year-old quickly found her groove and broke for a 3-1 lead in the next set and never looked back thereafter, levelling the contest with a breathtaking display of power to overwhelm her spirited Russian opponent.
"I'm really happy I was able to turn around this match and get this really difficult win."
In the final set, Sabalenka was on the verge of winning 5-0 until Alexandrova broke her opponent’s serve, making it 5-1.
However, Sabalenka recovered her win with a powerful backhand shot.
Sabalenka, 26, expressed gratitude towards the crowd for staying up so late to support her.
"Thanks so much for staying that late," Sabalenka said as the clock neared 2 am.
The winner, Sabalenka, will be facing Elise Mertens in the next round of the US Open.
