WIMBLEDON – The Olympic Marathon was held today but on grass. History was made on Centre Court of the historic All England Tennis Club – now site of the longest tennis match in Olympic history.
Roger Federer, with a record 17 Grand Slam titles, is one victory away from his first Olympic gold medal in singles. The Swiss Maestro nearly succumbed to his old U.S. Open nemesis, Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro , losing the first set but rallying to pull out a four-hour, 25-minute classic that ended in a third set gone wild – 36 games long.
On the venerable grounds of the All-England Club, Federer posted a 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 19-17 men’s semifinals victory to move to Sunday’s gold-medal match. There are no tiebreaks in the deciding set at the Olympics – or at Wimbledon for that matter. It’ll be Switzerland’s first medal of the Olympics no matter what Federer does in the final.
Team USA’s Kobe Bryant was on hand and the majority of fans at Centre Court rooted for the Swiss Maestro, chanting “Ro-ger’’ at all the key junctures of the 19-17 final set.
The Olympic match-time record was broken two days ago in the Wilfried Tsonga-Raonic bout that lasted 3:56 and finished 25-23 for Tsonga.
“We were getting tired at the end and you’re hoping the other guy is just going to choke,’’ Federer said. “It’s not the way you want to win but at that point you don’t care anymore. But it didn’t happen and you had to go get it.’’
It ended with Del Potro hitting a backhand into the net and then the two hugged at the net for several seconds, with the 6-foot-6 Argentine in tears. The victory clinched Federer his first singles medal as he’ll win at least a silver.
“I was very touched at the end,’’ Federer said.
Because the Argentine opened the third set serving, Federer repeatedly had to hold serve to keep the match going.
“Time and again, to get up on the line and serve big, it was emotionally draining,’’ Federer said. “I do serve well. It’s not my No. 1 strength. To try to match his pace, I knew the bigger server had the slight advantage. So maybe it favored him potentially. But I had the experience and the records here at Wimbledon. I have been around the block. I knew how to handle it.’’
Federer had a total of break points in the third set but often didn’t capitalize. “I was tense and nervous,’’ Federer said. “I saw myself losing many times. I also saw myself with a medal too.’’
At 17-17, Del Potro fell behind love-40, facing triple-break point after his forehand traveled a half-inch long. One point later, Federer had his break as a tiring Del Potro netted a backhand and Federer led 18-17.
Federer held serve to close out the marathon, but not before muffing a forehand volley at the net at match point – which he did more than usual during the match.
Del Potro took out Federer in the 2009 U.S. Open Finals, rallying from two sets down to end Federer’s reign of five straight Flushing Meadows titles. Federer hasn’t won the Open since but captured Wimbledon last month to make him a favorite here on the lawns again, with Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal.
In today’s second semifinal, British hero Andy Murray will have the crowd support as he faces Serbian machine Novak Djokovic. All of Britain was hoping for a rematch of the Wimbledon Final between Federer-Murray.
Federer had finally posted his first break of the match at 9-9 in the third set. He served for the match but then choked, getting broken at love – an extraordinary turn of events. A nervous Federer mishit a backhand that landed 10 feet wide on the first point and lost at love, incredibly, putting the match back at 10-10.
As long as it was, it didn’t compare to the historic John Isner-Nicolas Mahut five-set Wimbledon classic that went 70-68 in the fifth set. A plaque commemorates that record on Court 18.
“I didn’t need play this to respect John and Nicolas,’’ Federer said. “That was a joke. Three days. At one point, I thought of them. We’re not even through the first day yet. They did something extraordinary.’’
Federer appeared to have it sewn up when Del Potro hit a backhand long to set up break point for Federer at 9-9. This time, after squandering a series of break points earlier in the third, Federer didn’t waste it. He hit a low, sliced backhand which Del Potro failed to dig out, shanking a forehand well deep. But Federer’s first break went wasted.
After the 10-9 mishap, Federer nearly broke Del Potro again at 14-14. The Argentine couldn’t get to drop shot to make it love-40 and hooked backhand deep to fall back love-40. But “Del Po’’ rallied to win five straight points to go up 15-14 with incredible shotmaking, painting lines.
Del Potro broke Federer at 4-3 in the first set to go up 5-3 and closed it out. There were no breaks in the second set and Federer won the tiebreaker 7-5. In the tiebreak, Federer reeled off three straight points to go up 4-1, capped by an ace on the deuce court that put Federer in a 4-1 lead. But Del potro rallied but not far enough. Federer, who had been shaky at the net, hit a miserable forehand volley long to even the tiebreak at 4 before steadying himself, closing the tiebreak with an ace.