Roger Federer Blows 2 Match Points | Thiem Flips Script, To Meet Djokovic In Madrid Semifinals

By Ricky Dimon “@Dimonator”

 

Roger Federer fought off two match points when he won his third-round match at the Mutua Madrid Open. One day later, Federer saw two match points of his own go by the wayside and lost his quarterfinal match.

 

The 37-year-old came oh so close to what would have been a huge clay-court win over Dominic Thiem, but the Austrian ended up getting the job done 3-6, 7-6(11), 6-4 after two hours and 10 minutes.

 

Thiem saved both of Federer’s match points during a titanic second-set tiebreaker, with each coming on his own serve. Federer erred on a backhand return long on his first chance before a Thiem forehand approach shot proved to be too tough on the next one. The 2018 Madrid runner-up eventually pulled out the ‘breaker before breaking Federer’s serve twice in the third set–decisively at 5-4.

 

Thiem’s reward is a meeting with Novak Djokovic on Saturday.

 

“The test today was huge and tomorrow is a different game, of course,” Thiem noted. “But I was playing Novak last year and two years ago, and he was not at his best, I guess. Now he is again. He’s won the last three Grand Slams and he is at the top of the ATP rankings again. So the challenge couldn’t be bigger…. I’ll try to keep up my good momentum which I have now and give my best again.”

 

“I feel very good about my game,” Federer commented. “I thought I had some good matches here, especially the last two (against Monfils and Thiem); first one (against Richard Gasquet) was good to get into it. Obviously Gael and Dominic are tough on the clay, so it was a good battle. I feel good on the clay right now.

 

“(It’s) frustrating, clearly,” said Federer. “Losing with match points is the worst, so that’s how I feel. But nevertheless, if I take a step back (and reflect), it’s all good.”

 

Draw

Novak Djokovic…..d. Fritz…..d. Chardy…..w/o from Cilic
Dominic Thiem…..d. Opelka…..d. Fognini…..d. Federer

Stefanos Tsitsipas…..d. Mannarino…..d. Verdasco…..d. Zverev

Stan Wawrinka…..d. Herbert…..d. Pella…..d. Nishikori
Rafael Nadal…..d. Auger-Aliassime…..d. Tiafoe

 

Seeds

1. Novak Djokovic: vs. Thiem in SF
2. Rafael Nadal: vs. Wawrinka in QF
3. Alexander Zverev: l. to Tsitsipas in QF
4. Roger Federer: l. to Thiem in QF
5. Dominic Thiem: vs. Djokovic in SF6. Kei Nishikori: l. to Wawrinka in R3
7. Juan Martin Del Potro: l. to Djere in R2
8. Stefanos Tsitsipas: vs. Nadal/Wawrinka in SF
9. Marin Cilic: withdrew prior to QF
10. Fabio Fognini: l. to Thiem in R3
11. Karen Khachanov: l. to Verdasco in R2
12. Daniil Medvedev: l. to Pella in R1
13. Borna Coric: l. to Pouille in R1
14. Nikoloz Basilashvili: l. to Tiafoe in R1
15. Gael Monfils: l. to Federer in R3
16. Marco Cecchinato: l. to Schwartzman in R1

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.