He wasn’t just the Swiss Maestro Thursday night at the U.S. Open. He was the Swiss Miracle Worker.
The legend of Roger Federer grew greater at Ashe Stadium. Federer stared down a two-sets-to-love deficit against athletic Frenchman Gael Monfils, wiped out a double-match point in the fourth set, advanced to the net with no fear and advanced to Saturday.
Nobody bounds to the net in tennis anymore, but Federer was fearless enough and graceful enough to do so all night, making 74 trips, converting 53 for a 72-percent success rate. He took his lumps until finally throwing the speedy Monfils off balance.
In an Open classic, Federer posted a magical 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-1 quarterfinal comeback victory in 3 hours, 20 minutes over the 20th-seeded Monfils before an electrified crowd. Federer is one of the best front-runners there is, but it’s rare for him to stave off match points. Afterward, he called it “just an enjoyable match to play.’’
“It’s unbelievable to win matches like these at Slams, saving match points against Gael with an atmosphere like that,” Federer said. “It’s very special. Clearly it’s not a great feeling, [facing match point] because you feel it’s not in your control anymore really. It would’ve been an unbelievable letdown to be broken at 5-4 and lose a match like this and not very cool.’’
Monfils’ athleticism, angles and fiery spirit had Federer all but beaten after two sets and then in deep trouble in the fourth set at 15-40, 4-5. It would have been the enigmatic Monfils’ first Open semifinal appearance. Incredibly, the 53 points he won at the net were only four less than his baseline points.
Federer will meet upstart No. 14th seed Marin Cilic in the semis. He’s 5-0 vs. Cilic as he vies for a sixth Open title and record 18th Grand Slam. But Federer hasn’t won here since 2008, and it looked as if he were headed home before Super Saturday.
“I still thought the finish line was far for Gael,’’ Federer said, referring to his 0-2 hole. “I knew I could play better tennis. Down two match points, I wasn’t feeling too great anymore. I thought it was it, this is the last point, man. Just go down fighting. Don’t miss an easy point.’’
On serve at 4-5 in the fourth set, Federer faced two match points at 15-40 and he added to his Flushing greatness by winning four straight points. He lunged for a volley winner to save the first match point, then hit a forehand winner from the baseline to save the second one. He ended the game with a service winner, knotting the games at 5-5.
Flushing gave Federer a standing ovation, like old times.
“I felt very much a warm support for me,’’ Federer said. “I must say tonight was actually quite emotional for me.’’
A rattled Monfils served and fell behind love-30, hitting two shots in the net. Federer’s constant forays to the net finally had Monfils shaken. Federer snuck in and put away a backhand volley.
A reeling Monfils, still feeling the effects of blowing the match points, then double-faulted, and double-faulted again to give Federer the break. Federer went up 6-5 and served for the fourth set as Monfils was cracking at the wrong time.
“I need a bit of time to forget this,’’ Monfils said.
In the fifth set, Monfils got broken easily in the first game, winning just one point, and that was all she wrote. Federer dominated and served out the match at love.
Federer, with Stefan Edberg as his new coach, is charging the net more than any player on the tour. It started with mixed results against Monfils until it took its toll on the Frenchman, who turned his ankle in the second set and made a diving, painful slide for a Federer drop volley early in the fourth set to no avail.
Federer has had a big celebrity backing during the Open. First there was Michael Jordan in his box in the first round, then Rangers Swedish goalie Henrik Lundqvist a match later. Thursday night, the blonde Olympic skier Lindsay Vonn sat with Federer’s wife, claiming to have played tennis with him in the Swiss Alps, cheering madly.
Monfils was 7-2 against Federer in his career but had split the last four meetings. Clearly he didn’t seem to be intimidated from the outset and his hard serves to Federer’s one-handed backhand were effective. When Monfils took a 2-0 lead, that gave him 14 straight set wins in the Open.
In one moment illustrating it was possible this could be the Frenchman’s night, Federer, at the net, battered a volley right at Monfils. A flat-footed Monfils stabbed at it, got it on the fly and it angled past Federer. It was a rather-be-lucky-than-good moment.
But the luck ran out for Monfils, keeping Federer alive.