- Swiss superstar saves seven match points before winning crucial fourth set tie-break
- Unseeded American forced injury-carrying Federer to hope for a ‘miracle’ before dramatic comeback
"Lucky" Roger Federer saved seven match points before sealing a dramatic comeback win over unseeded American Tennys Sandgren at the Australian Open.
In the end victory was comfortable for the 38-year-old " winning 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 " but it did not come easy.
The Swiss superstar, who has won six times in Melbourne, was two sets to one down in the fourth and facing elimination with Sandgren having seven match points.
However, he rallied to take the set to a tiebreak, which he went on to win 10-8, before strolling to the semi-finals with an easy fifth set.
"I think I got incredibly lucky."Luck or not, here's how @rogerfederer assessed his performance to advance to the #AO2020 semifinals.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/MK8UDBxT9o
" #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2020
"You've got to get lucky sometimes, I'll tell you that. In those seven match points, you're not under control. It might look that way," Federer said after the match.
"I think he played his match. I think I got incredibly lucky today."
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"I don't deserve this one but I'm standing here and I'm obviously very, very happy," Federer said to the delight of the crowd at Rod Laver Arena.
Federer went off for treatment on his leg during the third set. "I really don't like calling the trainer, ever, because it's a sign of weakness," he said, "but I thought 'whatever'."
"I really don't like calling the trainer."@rogerfederer explains that medical timeout.#AO2020 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/KBEM5Aubae
" #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2020
He admitted that he was hoping for rather than expecting a win, such was Sandgren's dominance at the time.
"I just said, 'I believe in miracles. There could be rain. There could be stuff.'" In the end he did not need it.
"As the match went on I started to feel better again and all the pressure went away."
WE'RE GOING TO FIVE!Can you believe it?!@rogerfederer saves SEVEN (!!) match points to take this into a fifth. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/5dkpGqkPs7
" ATP Tour (@atptour) January 28, 2020
Federer's appearance in the semis will be his 15th in his 21st visit to Melbourne Park, although Sandgren may wonder how it is not him in the draw.
The American hit 27 aces to Federer's five and 73 winners to just 44 by the Swiss. Federer also had 56 unforced errors compared to Sandgren's 53, while also being outscored " Sandgren won 161 points to Federer's 160.
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