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AFP
Melbourne
Swiss great Roger Federer said “I believe in miracles” after he saved seven match points in a five-set nail-biter against 100th-ranked Tennys Sandgren to go into an Australian Open semi-final with Novak Djokovic on Tuesday.
The six-time champion, struggling physically, saved three match points at 4-5 in the fourth set and four more in the tie-breaker to scrape through 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-3.
Federer now goes into an unmissable semi-final with Djokovic, who blunted Milos Raonic’s razor serve to win 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) and move two wins from an eighth Melbourne title.
The 38-year-old great, the oldest man to reach the Melbourne semis since Ken Rosewall 43 years ago.
Djokovic, despite trouble with his contact lenses, ended Raonic’s run of 63 straight games in the tournament without a break of serve and moves smoothly into the semis for the loss of just one set so far.
He paid tribute to the great escape by Federer, ahead of a semi-final that reprises his epic win over the Swiss in last year’s Wimbledon decider.
“What he did today was really amazing, to come back and save seven match points at his age,” Djokovic said.
“He’s still playing such a great tennis and proving that he deserves to be up there. He’s a great fighter. Obviously I have lots of respect for him.”
Federer’s match was incident-packed and he received a rare warning for an audible obscenity before going off-court for treatment on a groin injury.
Still hampered by the injury, he somehow forced a fifth set and began to regain control against the big-serving American.
“I believe in miracles,” Federer said, revealing that he thought his groin strain had ended his chances. “There could be rain, there could be all kinds of stuff.
“(I thought) just let him finish me off in style, and he didn’t do that. I’m incredibly lucky tonight, today -- I don’t even know what time it is.”
Sandgren, achingly close to becoming the lowest-ranked player to beat Federer at the Australian Open, can count himself unlucky especially after a ball girl accidentally collided with him during the pivotal tie-breaker, which he lost.
Federer has made heavy weather of reaching his 46th Major semi-final. He was two points from defeat by John Millman in a fifth-set tie-breaker in round three, and dropped a set against 67th-ranked Marton Fucsovics in round four.
But the world number three Swiss star insisted he felt fine.
“It really depends sometimes how you’re feeling inside, how much it takes away from you. But I must say I feel pretty good right now,” said the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
His comeback against Sandgren was the stuff of legend, with the victory his 102nd at Melbourne Park, surpassing his tally at Wimbledon to make the Australian Open his most successful Slam in terms of matches won.
After comfortably taking the first set, he felt the groin strain midway through the second. He wasn’t moving well and making too many errors.
He took a medical timeout but lost the set and the next one.
But he seemed to get a second wind and saved four match points at 5-4 down in the fourth set and another three being winning the tie-breaker and romping to victory as the adoring crowd went into a frenzy.
Federer admitted he was “incredibly lucky” to still be in the tournament, but he planned to make the most if it.
Emotional Djokovic
The Serbian world number two, despite trouble with his contact lenses, tamed Raonic, the big-serving Canadian 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) .
“I have tremendous respect for Roger,” said Djokovic, who became emotional in his on-court interview when asked about the tragic death in a helicopter crash of Kobe Bryant, a personal friend.
“The match-ups I have had against Roger and Rafa (Nadal) have made me the player I am today,” he added. “May the best player win.”
While Federer – into a record 15th Australian Open semi – has laboured through 14 sets in his last three matches, Djokovic has had a much easier ride, dropping just one set all tournament.
The fit-again Raonic reached the Melbourne semi-finals in 2016, when he lost to Andy Murray, and the quarters on three other occasions, including last year.
He had failed to beat Djokovic in nine previous attempts, but possesses a monster serve and was unbeaten in 59 straight service games heading into their clash. That all changed when he faced his nemesis, perhaps the best returner in tennis.
“I felt great on court, I was very focused,” said Djokovic.
He threatened straight away, earning break points on the Raonic serve several times before finally converting to take the set and snap the Canadian’s run.
After the 63-game streak on his serve, his next amounted to just one game, broken again in the fourth game of the second set as Djokovic took a stranglehold.
The relentless Serb, who has won 11 straight matches this season, went toe-to-toe with the Canadian in the third set when at 4-4 he called for new contact lenses, which turned into a medical timeout.
Raonic wasn’t impressed that he didn’t wait until the changeover.
Djokovic appeared to struggle with his vision on his return, but it quickly came back into focus as he raced through the tiebreaker to book his ticket to the semi-final.
Melbourne
Swiss great Roger Federer said “I believe in miracles” after he saved seven match points in a five-set nail-biter against 100th-ranked Tennys Sandgren to go into an Australian Open semi-final with Novak Djokovic on Tuesday.
The six-time champion, struggling physically, saved three match points at 4-5 in the fourth set and four more in the tie-breaker to scrape through 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-3.
Federer now goes into an unmissable semi-final with Djokovic, who blunted Milos Raonic’s razor serve to win 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) and move two wins from an eighth Melbourne title.
The 38-year-old great, the oldest man to reach the Melbourne semis since Ken Rosewall 43 years ago.
Djokovic, despite trouble with his contact lenses, ended Raonic’s run of 63 straight games in the tournament without a break of serve and moves smoothly into the semis for the loss of just one set so far.
He paid tribute to the great escape by Federer, ahead of a semi-final that reprises his epic win over the Swiss in last year’s Wimbledon decider.
“What he did today was really amazing, to come back and save seven match points at his age,” Djokovic said.
“He’s still playing such a great tennis and proving that he deserves to be up there. He’s a great fighter. Obviously I have lots of respect for him.”
Federer’s match was incident-packed and he received a rare warning for an audible obscenity before going off-court for treatment on a groin injury.
Still hampered by the injury, he somehow forced a fifth set and began to regain control against the big-serving American.
“I believe in miracles,” Federer said, revealing that he thought his groin strain had ended his chances. “There could be rain, there could be all kinds of stuff.
“(I thought) just let him finish me off in style, and he didn’t do that. I’m incredibly lucky tonight, today -- I don’t even know what time it is.”
Sandgren, achingly close to becoming the lowest-ranked player to beat Federer at the Australian Open, can count himself unlucky especially after a ball girl accidentally collided with him during the pivotal tie-breaker, which he lost.
Federer has made heavy weather of reaching his 46th Major semi-final. He was two points from defeat by John Millman in a fifth-set tie-breaker in round three, and dropped a set against 67th-ranked Marton Fucsovics in round four.
But the world number three Swiss star insisted he felt fine.
“It really depends sometimes how you’re feeling inside, how much it takes away from you. But I must say I feel pretty good right now,” said the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
His comeback against Sandgren was the stuff of legend, with the victory his 102nd at Melbourne Park, surpassing his tally at Wimbledon to make the Australian Open his most successful Slam in terms of matches won.
After comfortably taking the first set, he felt the groin strain midway through the second. He wasn’t moving well and making too many errors.
He took a medical timeout but lost the set and the next one.
But he seemed to get a second wind and saved four match points at 5-4 down in the fourth set and another three being winning the tie-breaker and romping to victory as the adoring crowd went into a frenzy.
Federer admitted he was “incredibly lucky” to still be in the tournament, but he planned to make the most if it.
Emotional Djokovic
The Serbian world number two, despite trouble with his contact lenses, tamed Raonic, the big-serving Canadian 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) .
“I have tremendous respect for Roger,” said Djokovic, who became emotional in his on-court interview when asked about the tragic death in a helicopter crash of Kobe Bryant, a personal friend.
“The match-ups I have had against Roger and Rafa (Nadal) have made me the player I am today,” he added. “May the best player win.”
While Federer – into a record 15th Australian Open semi – has laboured through 14 sets in his last three matches, Djokovic has had a much easier ride, dropping just one set all tournament.
The fit-again Raonic reached the Melbourne semi-finals in 2016, when he lost to Andy Murray, and the quarters on three other occasions, including last year.
He had failed to beat Djokovic in nine previous attempts, but possesses a monster serve and was unbeaten in 59 straight service games heading into their clash. That all changed when he faced his nemesis, perhaps the best returner in tennis.
“I felt great on court, I was very focused,” said Djokovic.
He threatened straight away, earning break points on the Raonic serve several times before finally converting to take the set and snap the Canadian’s run.
After the 63-game streak on his serve, his next amounted to just one game, broken again in the fourth game of the second set as Djokovic took a stranglehold.
The relentless Serb, who has won 11 straight matches this season, went toe-to-toe with the Canadian in the third set when at 4-4 he called for new contact lenses, which turned into a medical timeout.
Raonic wasn’t impressed that he didn’t wait until the changeover.
Djokovic appeared to struggle with his vision on his return, but it quickly came back into focus as he raced through the tiebreaker to book his ticket to the semi-final.
