Solheim Cup: Europe and US 8-8 with Sunday's singles to come at Finca Cortesin

Europe and the United States will go into Sunday's 12 Solheim Cup singles matches locked at 8-8 after another enthralling day at Finca Cortesin.

It has been a terrific turnaround by Europe, who lost a dismal opening session 4-0 on Friday but bounced back to only trail 5-3 overnight in Spain.

Saturday's morning session finished 2-2 but Europe again won the afternoon fourballs 3-1 to level the match.

"We've made quite the comeback," said Europe captain Suzann Pettersen.

"But we have to remember we aren't there. There are still 12 points up for grabs.

"It's only in the Solheim Cup that you see this level of desire, the passion and the putts made and the shots hit.

"I'm going to see if I can just regroup these girls before they go to bed, and we'll be ready to go in the morning."

Pettersen's US counterpart Stacy Lewis conceded the "momentum is with Europe", adding: "We would have liked to have won more points but I'm not upset about where we are at."

As defending champions, Europe need six points out of the 12 available to reach 14 to retain the Solheim Cup.

It would see them win three on the trot for the first time, while the US need to get to 14½ points to regain the trophy they last won in 2017.

Europe again dominate afternoon session

There has been a huge swing in momentum, with Europe having won the past three sessions 8-4 to claw themselves level in the 18th staging of the biennial match.

And the manner of victory in Saturday afternoon's fourballs will have been particularly pleasing for Pettersen

"I feel like we did a great job," said the Norwegian. "We went woman-power out in the afternoon and it paid off.

"If you look at where we started after yesterday morning, we've come a long way."

England's Charley Hull and Ireland's Leona Maguire led the way for Europe, racing into a four-hole lead after eight and were a combined eight under after 14 holes before completing a stunning 4&3 win over world number three Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing.

Madelene Sagstrom and Emily Pedersen, who themselves were nine under in a high-quality match, briefly levelled the overall score at 7-7 when they closed out a 2&1 win over Rose Zhang and Andrea Lee on the 17th.

But the US edged back ahead moments later. Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall had let slip a two-hole lead against Cheyenne Knight and Angel Yin, losing three successive holes from the 11th and finally succumbing on the 18th.

However, home favourite Carlota Ciganda and Sweden's Linn Grant wrapped up the score-levelling point with a 2&1 win over Danielle Kang and Lilia Vu in a sensational match that saw the first five holes halved with birdies. Kang needed another one on the 17th to take the match down the last but her 10-foot effort drifted wide.

Spaniard Ciganda is the only European player with a 100% record after winning both her matches on Saturday to add to her fourballs victory on Friday.

Europe captain Pettersen repeatedly shouted "come on" as she hugged Ciganda before puffing her cheeks out, in recognition of how vital that session had been.

Europe have never won the Solheim Cup when trailing going into the singles. They have won twice to three US victories when the match has been tied 8-8.

Morning session tied

Europe started Saturday trailing 5-3 and were 7-5 down after winning two and losing two of the alternate shot foursomes.

Ciganda delighted her home fans, who had chanted her name all round the hilly course, by holing the winning putt on the 17th in the top match as she and Pedersen emerged victorious from a tough tussle with a misfiring Jennifer Kupcho and Vu.

The Americans struggled on the greens after three-putting the first from 20 feet to hand Europe the early initiative.

The US players will rue a number of poor putts with Kupcho being particularly culpable, although world number two Vu also missed a couple of short ones and she is yet to win any points from her three matches this week.

Swedish rookies Maja Stark and Grant won a feisty battle in the last match out.

Five times the Europeans led by one and five times they were pegged back by Kang and Andrea Lee, whose celebrations became increasingly intense as the match reached its closing stages.

But Europe took the lead for a sixth and final time when Stark rattled in a 20-footer on the 17th, punching the air in delight as the fans packed round the green gave the loudest roar of the week.

And Grant held her nerve to hole a 10-foot putt on the last to secure what felt like a crucial point, given it kept Europe within two.

In between those matches, the US picked up their two wins with Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang edging a terrific battle with Nordqvist and Maguire on the last, while Korda and Allisen Corpuz crushed Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier 5&3.

England's Hall and Boutier of France were unbeaten when paired together in the two previous Solheim Cups. Hall said earlier in the week she was keen to rekindle their partnership but, after a narrow defeat in Friday morning's foursomes, they were soundly beaten on Saturday.

In the second match out, Khang and Thompson, who came into the Solheim Cup under intense scrutiny after an indifferent year, sneaked a point on the last.

Maguire and Nordqvist looked in good shape when they won three of the first seven holes to lead by two but the Irishwoman missed a short putt on the ninth and two longer ones on the 10th and 11th as the US won three holes on the trot to turn the match red.

Nordqvist squared it with a birdie on the 14th but they lost the 17th to par to gift the Americans a one-hole lead going up the last.

Europe had a chance to win the 18th and halve the match but Sweden's Nordqvist, playing in her eighth Solheim Cup, raced a 15-foot putt past the hole.

All times BST

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