French Open: Federer and Djokovic Survive Scares

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SUNDAY WRAP

It was a cloudy day, but finally the sun broke through as if to say, I’ve got to check this out.

After all, he tennis world was upside down. The No. 1 woman in the world, Victoria Azarenka, who earlier in the year had won 26 matches in a row, lost to a player, Dominika Cibulkova, she had beaten seven straight times.

All the while, it was assumed that the No. 1 male player, Novak Djokovic, and the No. 1 player of our era, Roger Federer, would waltz to the semis.

But two unheralded Euros – blonde Italian Andreas Steppi and young Belgian David Goffin – had a different dance in mind. The Euro duo seemed to be giving birthday boy Rafa Nadal a nice gift as they simultaneously tested the No. 1 and 3 seeds.

Perhaps Djokovic, who as yet to win a clay court title this year, was feeling the pressure of winning his first French title, which would mean he would be the first player to hold all four Slam titles since Rod Laver in ‘69. Or maybe he was overconfident. The Serb hadn’t lost to the Italian in seven previous matches. But as Djokovic banged his racket and his head and barked at his box, Seppi stroked without fear and raced to a two-set lead. But Djokovic is No. 1 for a reason. He reduced his many errors and methodically turned the affair around to score a 4-6, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 win in 4:18. It was the third time in his career he had come back to win from a two-set deficit.

The Serb confided, “It’s one of those days where … nothing was working. My serve was well. But aside [from] that, I could not get into rhythm. I was fighting, and because of the fight I won … I was most worried about my game. I wasn’t really worried about the match. I mean, his game, he played well. That’s a fact … But most of the match I was defensive, and so that was it.”

Incredibly young David Goffin, a Belgian with a chiseled baby face (if that is possible) was the first qualifier to reach the fourth round of a major. And the 21-year old manchild who had Federer posters in his room as a child, promptly posted a first set win against The Mighty Fed. But no one adjusts better in tennis than the intelligent Swiss veteran, and Roger promptly turned around the match to score a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 win. Afterwards, he admitted it was tough playing someone he had not faced before and conceded he could have lost. He put the outing in perspective, saying, “I’m not used to playing against an opponent who loves me or loves the way I play … But, I’m aware that it had to happen someday, because it happened to me when I played against Sampras or people I admired … I suppose [some day] it’s going to be exactly the same for him.”

Supposedly top seed Azarenka was going to beat the diminutive Dominika Cibulkova, who she had dismissed in seven of the eight times that previously met on court. Victoria is right from central casting. Tall and powerful with penetrating shots, great athleticism and a first-class shriek. She has a “nothing but tennis” mindset and a celebrity coach, Amelie Mauresmo.

Plus, the petite 5’3” Cibulkova was told she was too small to play, and in her last three matches against Azarenka she squandered hefty leads. But Azarenka, who crafted a huge comeback in the first round to stay alive, could not keep up with the crafty Slovakian who stroked a brilliant backhand pass to nail down a 6-2, 7-6 win. Afterwards, Azarenka said “I’m gonna kill myself. I couldn’t make anything .… right now I’m just really, really unhappy … and I’m gonna look for what I do wrong so make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

We don’t think Azarenka will kill herself. But, looking at the women’s results, we do think America’s new darling, Sloane Stephens, will thrill us again despite not being able to sustain a 5-3 lead in the first set against Sam Stosur. The lean Bel Air teen could not handle the big kick serve and imposing forehand of U.S. Open champ Stosur, losing 7-5, 6-4. But in reaching the fourth round, she more than earned the first-class ticket back to the U.S. she coveted and we are sure we will see Ms. Stephens back in the spotlight strutting her impressive stuff. An unspoiled teen, Stephens left Roland Garros beaming as she spoke about the joy of competition “I have had such a good time,” she said. “And even though every day I have been saying, Man, I can’t wait to get home to eat my grandpa’s curry crab, I don’t want to leave. So it’s kind of bittersweet that I’m going home, but I had so much fun.”

SOME SMELL THE COFFEE, SHE SMELLS THE BALLS: After her fourth round victory, a reporter had this curious dialog with Dominika Cibulkova:

Q. In the second set before you served you kissed the ball a couple of times. Do you do that very often?

CIBULKOVA: No, I’m not kissing the balls. I really like the smell of the balls, of the new balls. (Smiling).

I was just smelling the balls all the time …

Q. Could you talk a little bit about why do you need to smell the ball?

CIBULKOVA: I don’t need to do it, but it’s just my habit, what I do on the court when I have new balls. I just smell them. It’s maybe also for the luck, and I do it all my life.

MAYBE SHE SWEATS A LOT: Cibulkova told Eurosport that she has stolen 12 Roland Garros towels.

TOUGH TIMES FOR CARO AND CO: Her boyfriend Rory McIlroy, once the best golfer in the world, has missed the cut three times in a row. And Caroline Wozniacki, who was No. 1 in the world in January, has suffered serial losses and is now in danger of dropping out of the top ten. At least Sunshine showed she can unleash a world-class meltdown when she protested a line call in the second set of her loss to Kaia Kanepi.

TWO FEDERATIONS SEPARATED BY AN OCEAN: Varvara Lepchenko trains with the USTA, so she was asked whether in light of all the failings of Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association she thought a Federation could actually produce a top champion. Her response wasn’t in the class of Winston Churchill’s classic comparison that the U.S. and Britain were “two nations separated by a common language.” Still her comment drew comment. She said, “They’re Brits. We’re Americans and do things differently. We’re more relaxed, we’re more positive.”

YES WORLD THERE IS ANOTHER SHARAPOVA: Junior Sabrina Sharapova of Uzbekistan.

MOST AIR TIME FOR A CELEB: French TV continually shows the now-controversial Ian Tiriac and Ilie Nastase, with his wife, watching in the stands.

BEST NICKNAME OF THE DAY: “The Serbinator” for Novak Djokovic.