Garcia took the momentum to force a decider, and twice led by a break only for Kasatkina to level each time. The match appeared to come down to a nine-deuce ninth game, during which the Russian saved six break points.
But even as she was nearly standing on top of the net, Garcia felt she could have been more aggressive.
“I did nothing with it,” she said of at least three break points. “It was just a perfect, perfect target for me, for being able to hit it and go for it. It was like 1, 2, 3, I was like, come on, I mean, you have to do something!”
A younger Garcia would have likely folded in the following game, unable to let go of opportunities lost and already racked with nerves. Instead, she stepped to the line after 90 seconds and ultimately served her way to a tiebreaker—a testament to how relaxed she’s been all week.
“I came here with a situation to manage,” she explained. “We tried the best we could to prepare to be ready.”
Ending the match with a lung-busting rally, Garcia needed to catch her breath before she could take flight for her inimitable Caroplane celebration. Perhaps one doesn’t recover quite as quickly five years later, but the 29-year-old is also five years wiser, better able to navigate the highs and lows that come with a tennis career—and her all-or-nothing tactics.
“It proves that this year was definitely a good year. Started very far for being in the Top 10 or Top eight, and made my way to it and playing a lot of matches. A lot of wins. It’s one more thing that proves to me that my game style is working and I have to keep going that way. And you have to fight until the end.”