This story is from January 26, 2020

Roger Federer's great escape is the talk of Australian Open

The 38-year-old, was on the backfoot for most part of shootout, when Millman played lights-out tennis but hung on to come through 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-8) in a shade over four hours.
Roger Federer's great escape is the talk of Australian Open
Roger Federer. (Getty Images)
MELBOURNE: Roger Federer may be relieved, but the locker room is abuzz.
The Swiss artiste scripted a jailbreak, Grand Slam stage, in the Australian Open late on Friday. He came back from 4-8 down in the fifth set tie-break, rising from the dead against home hope John Millman. The third seed won six successive points to move into the fourth round, where he plays Hungary’s power-hitter Marton Fucsovics.
The 38-year-old, was on the backfoot for most part of shootout, when Millman played lights-out tennis but hung on to come through 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-8) in a shade over four hours.

“It was a tough tiebreaker, I didn’t feel like I was playing badly or making bad decisions. He punished me every single time,” Federer said. “He was coming up with the goods and was able to stretch the lead. Once he had the lead, I was always able to hold on with my serve and win my points. Then of course there was the crucial points at 8-7, 8-All, 9-8. I’m happy they all went my way.”
A gutted Millman struggled to get a handle on the so-close-yet-so-far scenario. “I rather have lost it like 10-5 or something,” he said.
Andrey Rublev, the hottest player in the men’s game, coming off successive tournament victories in the new year, said, “In the Millman-Federer match, looks like Millman should win, but in the end, one, two points, Federer won. In the tiebreak one or two points change everything.”
Super tie-breaks are not common in the singles game and takes some resetting and adjusting. “We’re not used to super breakers,” Federer said. “And being down by such a big margin is rare for us. I played a few in doubles, in the Laver Cup. So you always feel as long as it’s not match point you’re still kind of in it. But the air gets incredibly thin. You know that any overhitting, too much risk or just handing over a point at this moment will cost you dearly. It’s a very, very tight balance.”

The Slams all vary on the fifth set finish line, creating confusion not just among spectators, but players too. “I listen carefully to the umpire, it’s a 10-point tiebreaker. I kind of knew it was at 6-all. And I felt the roar was big when he won his seventh point in the breaker. People must have thought it was over,” Federer said. “In a funny way I’m okay with all four endings, they all have a reason to end the way they do. I don’t know what it is.”
World No.1 Rafael Nadal said, “I don’t want to analyze the match for the last six points, honestly. Has been a good match for Millman. Roger, I think, played a little bit up and down. But in the fifth he started to play very aggressive.”
The Rod Laver Arena cheered the home hero almost as much as it egged the sport’s universal favourite — Federer. “My feeling is an analysis is not correct because when you are 8-4 in the tiebreak, of course if you win six points, is obviously you didn’t make an unforced error. The last six points, John made couple of mistakes. He was not missing balls, and then he missed with his two serves, two long balls,” Nadal said.
“Anything could happen, but Federer is Federer.”
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