(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
If you like biting your nails, this was the Grand Slam final for you.
Juan Martin Del Potro may have come in to this U.S. Open like a lamb, but he went out like a lion, scoring a hard-fought and tension-laden victory over living legend Roger Federer, 3-6, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.
Del Potro, who at 6’6” is the tallest player to ever secure a Grand Slam title, becomes the second man to defeat Roger Federer in a Grand Slam final, and the first to ever defeat him at the U.S. Open final.
After looking like a deer in the headlights for the better part of the first two sets, the 20-year-old Del Potro came to life, snatching his first service break of the match just as Federer looked poised to put his all-too-familiar vice grip on the match.
“Yes, the beginning of the match, I was so nervous, I can’t sleep last night. I didn’t take a breakfast today,” said Del Potro. “That’s part of the final, you know.”
Serving for the set at 5-4, 30-0, Federer, the holder of five consecutive U.S. Open titles, was two points from a seemingly invincible two-set lead.
But Del Potro magically found a window that was big enough to crawl through.
The No. 6 seed, who will turn 21 later this month, displaying a rare sense of timing that only the true champions ever seem to possess, reeled off four consecutive points, finishing off the game by delivering two improbably clutch passing shots that were perfectly placed along the sideline.
The first was ruled out, but when Del Potro challenged the call, the replay overturned the point. Federer, who has long been critical of the Hawk-Eye challenge system, was miffed by the call, especially since it had led to a break point.
On the ensuing break point, Del Potro’s third of the match, the lanky Argentine intercepted a spinning Federer volley with a running topspin forehand that landed just inside the line for the break, and a 5-5 tie.
“I got off to a pretty good start,” said Federer. “I had things under control as well in the second set. I think that one cost me the match eventually. But I had many chances before that to make the difference.
“So it was tough luck today, but I thought Juan Martin played great. I thought he hung in there and gave himself chances, and in the end was the better man.”
Both players held serve into the tie-break, but as Federer shanked a forehand at 3-3, Del Potro had the mini-break that would give him an advantage he would never relinquish. Moments later, he closed out the set with a beautiful inside-out forehand and a fist pump to boot—suddenly a match that was two points away from being a lost cause was up for grabs.
In the third set, Del Potro looked energized. Hitting unfathomable forehands that seemed shot out of a cannon rather than struck by a racquet, the Argentine seemed to be taking the momentum from the Swiss maestro, slowly but surely.
“Good feeling with my forehand I think was the key of the match,” Del Potro would later state, in a post-match press conference.
It was the understatement of the day.
Del Potro was in a classic zo
Juan Martin Del Potro may have come in to this U.S. Open like a lamb, but he went out like a lion, scoring a hard-fought and tension-laden victory over living legend Roger Federer, 3-6, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.
Del Potro, who at 6’6” is the tallest player to ever secure a Grand Slam title, becomes the second man to defeat Roger Federer in a Grand Slam final, and the first to ever defeat him at the U.S. Open final.
After looking like a deer in the headlights for the better part of the first two sets, the 20-year-old Del Potro came to life, snatching his first service break of the match just as Federer looked poised to put his all-too-familiar vice grip on the match.
“Yes, the beginning of the match, I was so nervous, I can’t sleep last night. I didn’t take a breakfast today,” said Del Potro. “That’s part of the final, you know.”
Serving for the set at 5-4, 30-0, Federer, the holder of five consecutive U.S. Open titles, was two points from a seemingly invincible two-set lead.
But Del Potro magically found a window that was big enough to crawl through.
The No. 6 seed, who will turn 21 later this month, displaying a rare sense of timing that only the true champions ever seem to possess, reeled off four consecutive points, finishing off the game by delivering two improbably clutch passing shots that were perfectly placed along the sideline.
The first was ruled out, but when Del Potro challenged the call, the replay overturned the point. Federer, who has long been critical of the Hawk-Eye challenge system, was miffed by the call, especially since it had led to a break point.
On the ensuing break point, Del Potro’s third of the match, the lanky Argentine intercepted a spinning Federer volley with a running topspin forehand that landed just inside the line for the break, and a 5-5 tie.
“I got off to a pretty good start,” said Federer. “I had things under control as well in the second set. I think that one cost me the match eventually. But I had many chances before that to make the difference.
“So it was tough luck today, but I thought Juan Martin played great. I thought he hung in there and gave himself chances, and in the end was the better man.”
Both players held serve into the tie-break, but as Federer shanked a forehand at 3-3, Del Potro had the mini-break that would give him an advantage he would never relinquish. Moments later, he closed out the set with a beautiful inside-out forehand and a fist pump to boot—suddenly a match that was two points away from being a lost cause was up for grabs.
In the third set, Del Potro looked energized. Hitting unfathomable forehands that seemed shot out of a cannon rather than struck by a racquet, the Argentine seemed to be taking the momentum from the Swiss maestro, slowly but surely.
“Good feeling with my forehand I think was the key of the match,” Del Potro would later state, in a post-match press conference.
It was the understatement of the day.
Del Potro was in a classic zo
1 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete