SUPERSUB Catriona Matthew showed the fighting spirit Europe will need to avoid a hat-trick of defeats when the Solheim Cup moves to Scotland in 2019.
The North Berwick ace is a hot favourite to be captain when the teams renew their rivalry at Gleneagles but in this form she could easily extend her role as Europes oldest ever player.
She made it three points out of four with a typical battling display, coming from three down against one of Americas top players, Stacy Lewis, to win one up.
Not bad for a player a few days short of her 48th birthday, who only switched roles from vice-captain to emergency player when Suzann Pettersen was ruled out a couple of days before the start with a back injury.
Matthew, making her ninth appearance for Europe, added to her two Foursomes wins to take her overall tally to 22 points just three behind all-time record holder Laura Davies, who made played in three more Solheim Cups than the Scot.
Sadly, with the USA leading 10 - 5 heading into the Singles, the result was a foregone conclusion. But at least Europe went down fighting, sharing the final session 6-6 to restrict the Americans to a 16 - 11 victory.
The defiant mood was summed up by the opening match featuring world No 2 Lexi Thompson and Europes top player, Anna Nordqvist.
Nordqvist made a blistering start, winning the first four holes two with birdies and two gifted to her as the American was all over the place.
Thompson was still four down at turn. But after winning the tenth with a birdie she suddenly went into overdrive after holing out from the fairway for an eagle at eleven.
She also eagled the long 15th as she played the first six holes on the back nine in SEVEN under par, turning the match on its head and going one up with two to play.
But Norqvist did not deserve to lose, and on the final hole she hit her second shot to within 18 inches of the flag for her seventh birdie - and a clash that will be talked about for years to come deservedly finished all square.
Englands Charley Hull defied a wrist injury to edge out Brittany Lang, and there were also morale-boosting wins for Caroline Masson, Carlotta Ciganda, and Madelene Sagstrom.