Wimbledon Catch Up
After Novak Djokovic crashed out of Wimbledon in four sets over two heavily rain affected days and four long sets to Sam Querrey last week, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were suddenly alert to the possibility that this is their best chance to win another grand slam, certainly the best chance they've had in over a year. For Federer, he might not get another chance this big to win a grand slam, and for Murray, it's a crucial time to win one, without having to worry about his hoodoo over beating Djokovic. And the pressure of that opportunity seemed to weigh heavily on both Murray and Federer, as their respective quarter finals against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Marin Cilic both went to five sets and ended up being absolute humdingers.
Federer was first up, and his first set with Cilic was a tight, tense affair. Federer had a real sniff of a break when he was able to wrangle two break points midway through the set, but Cilic's powerful serving got him out of danger, and after a set in which truthfully very little happened, it went to a tiebreaker. At this point, Federer completely lost his composure and dropped two early serves in the tiebreak, as Cilic carved out a 5-0 lead that Roger was never able to recover from.
If the nerves were jangling for Federer at the end of the first set, the alarm bells would have been ringing during the second. Cilic was able to break early, and despite once again carving out break points, Federer wasn't able to respond. Truthfully, there was almost nothing between Cilic and Federer in the second set either, but Cilic was able to win all the crucial points, taking the break and holding on on his own serve and taking the set 6-4.
But from there, the crowd woke up, roaring on Federer, and if it was Cilic who won all the key points in the second set, it was Federer who won all of the key points in the third, as Cilic carved out three break points, only to squander them all. Federer broke next game and never looked back - the turning point in the match. The fourth set was just as tight as the previous three, tighter even, and despite Cilic opening up three match points on the Federer serve, it went to a tiebreaker. And that's where the match went from being really good to a stone cold classic, as Federer and Cilic played one of the most intense, gripping and interesting tiebreakers I've ever seen. It ebbed and flowed, one way and the other. Federer, with set point, missed a simple forehead, causing agonised gasps to ring around centre court. Every point was intense, high-intensity but with the occasional messy shot in the mix it became a real battle, before Federer took the tie break and went on to win the match. It was one of those where you sensed Federer had the class and the momentum, and if it went to a 5th the Cilic was finished. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. The longer the set went on, the more you felt Federer was going to break, and he did with the match poised at 4-3 in the final set, to win 6-7 4-6 6-3 7-6 6-3. It was a match that Cilic didn't really deserve to lose, but ultimately it was Federer who was able to grind out the result when the pressure mounted in the final set.
Afterwards, Murray ended up making heavy work of what could have been, and looked like being, a reasonably routine win over Tsonga. If the first set between Federer and Cilic was tight and tense, then this was open and pulsating, with both players having multiple chances to break. Murray was able to break and lead, but Tsonga hit back, taking it to a tiebreaker. If Federer and Cilic produced an incredible tiebreak, then these two did their best to match it, another fascinating, pulsating battle before Murray eventually carved out victory. And Tsonga, mentally browbeaten by that harsh defeat, completely lost his head in the second set, and Murray didn't have to reach top gear to see it out 6-1.
But then, in the third set, things got interesting again. You sensed that if Murray could secure an early break, then it was over. He didn't, and Tsonga grew in confidence as the set went on. Murray has barely had to leave second gear all tournament, and was playing off his best in the second set, so when Tsonga upped the intensity in the third, he wasn't able to match it, and Tsonga snatched the third set.
The fourth set was a brutal, horrible affair to watch. Murray was able to wrestle a break from Tsonga to move 4-2 up, and finally starting to play well. But Tsonga looked inspired and snatched it straight back. And then at 4-3, things got really ugly for Murray. He had multiple, agonizing chances to kill off Tsonga, but blew it, and then went on to be broken on his own serve. He lost four games in a row, when really he could and should have won three of them, and threw away multiple chances to kill the match.
But consistency is so often the key at the top level of sport, and Tsonga did not have it. Murray was able to find the extra gear that he needed at the start of the fifth, and when he broke Tsonga to move 2-0 up, the Frenchman capitulated and Murray was able to win the final set at a canter, 6-1. Ultimately, Tsonga lost himself and handed Murray two sets, otherwise he would have been able to make a much better fist of the match.
But Andy deserves a lot of credit for the way that he recovered to wrestle back control in the 5th and decisive set, and he moves on to face Berdych in the semis tomorrow. So despite two massive scares, we are still on for a Murray v Federer classic on Sunday.
The Hard and Fast Section
- Ballance is in the test squad. This pleases me.
- France opting for no Kante. Oh boy.
- England's women continuing to decimate Pakistan. Painfully one-sided.
- EMRE CAN.
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