Joint M. came from behind to defeat Samsonova L. 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 at the US Open, turning the match around after a shaky opening set. The key was her service solidity: she saved 9 of 11 break points overall, including all seven she faced in the final two sets.
Samsonova broke twice in the first set, at 2-3 and 3-6, to close it out 6-3. Joint levelled in the second set with breaks at 2-1 and 5-2, then took charge in the decider by breaking in the opening game and again at 5-2 to seal it 6-2.
After struggling on second serve in the first set, Joint raised her first-serve level to 76% for the match and did not drop a service game in sets two and three. That resilience, rather than raw power, proved decisive as she completed the comeback with 12 winners.