…Nicolas Lapentti – the biggest specialist of m.p. matches (16-2 record)…
Who won a match withstanding the most match points in the 21st century? Answer: Rainer Schuettler, who saved 10 match points (two MP’s on return) to defeat Andreas Seppi in the second round of Kitzbühel 2004. The German won 3-6, 7-6(13), 6-0 withstanding match points at three different games:
4:5 (15/40), 5:6 (15/40) and in the tie-break at: 6:7, 8:9, 9:10*, 10:11, 11:12* & 12:13.Adriano Panatta saved 11 match points in the 1st round of Rome ’76 against Kim Warwick (3-6, 6-4, 7-6). It’s the Open Era record equalled by Simon Youl, who beat Glenn Michibata 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 (Schenectady ’89). The second place share Schuettler and Alberto Martin, who saved 10 MPs against Adrian Voinea in Bucharest 1999 as he prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 7-5)
In a Davis Cup rubber of a 1930 tie between USA & Italy, Wilmer Allison defeated Giorgio De Stefani 4-6, 7-9, 6-4, 8-6, 10-8 after saving 18 (!) match points. Allison saved two match points in the 4th (Allison trailed 2:5) and sixteen in the 5th set (he trailed 1:5)
Vijay Amritraj won an event in Bretton Woods ’73 saving match points in three different matches (the only case in the Open Era)
