The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 5 letter word MATCH POINT
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
M
A
T
C
H
P
O
I
N
T
More clues leading to the result MATCH POINT
- Pair having argument – one side might lose it after this?
- TT Champion crashes a moment before victory
- Crucial moment at Wimbledon affecting two times champion
- Follow suit with thrust: that precedes victory in court
- Decisive moment at court that’s potentially fiery?
- Dull detail about champion’s final exchange?
- Striker takes position for game’s critical moment
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "a moment before victory" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a moment before victory = match point.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.