Pouille’s Stuttgart Run From Incredible Match Point Save To Champion

It’s not often that you save a match point and go on to win the match. It’s more rare to do that and go on to capture the title, but that’s exactly what Lucas Pouille did at the 2017 MercedesCup.

Home favourite Jan-Lennard Struff served at 8/7 in the final-set tie-break of their second-round match in Stuttgart. During the point, the Frenchman tracked down a brilliant drop shot and then flicked back two reflex volleys. He was so close to the net that he had to be careful not to run into it. Pouille hit a clean winner on his second volley, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Pouille used that momentum to power through the next two points and prevail 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(8). The fourth seed then defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber, Benoit Paire and Feliciano Lopez to win his second of three titles that season.

Twelve tour-level titlists saved at least one match point en route to lifting a trophy in 2017. Pouille fell on the other side of the equation that season, too, as Rafael Nadal saved two match points against the Frenchman in the first round of the China Open before emerging from the ATP 500 victorious.