• Rarely is the crowd on Rod Laver Arena not fully behind the 20-time Grand Slam champion, this occasion one of them with the 15,000 fans virtually split down the middle in their support.
But only a second victory against a top-10 player in 16 attempts — Federer, of course, also falling in the other - was snatched from his grasp as the Swiss won six straight points to seal victory in Melbourne.
Image: REUTERS
Six-time champion Roger Federer survived a huge scare to beat unseeded Australian John Millman 10-8 in a final-set tie-break and reach the Australian Open fourth round.
The Swiss world number three won 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 4-6 7-6 (10-8) in an epic that lasted four hours three minutes.
Federer, 38, trailed 8-4 in the deciding tie-break - but won six points in a row to progress. He will face Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in the fourth round.
Federer and Millman produced a match which will live long in the memory of those who saw it when the Australian earned the best win of his career against the flustered Swiss in the 2018 US Open fourth round.
This epic surpassed even that in terms of intensity and drama. Millman pushed Federer to the limit on that humid night in New York and, in much cooler temperatures which did not sap the veteran of his physical strength this time, managed to do the same in Melbourne.
Rarely is the crowd on Rod Laver Arena not fully behind the 20-time Grand Slam champion, this occasion one of them with the 15,000 fans virtually split down the middle in their support.
The charismatic Millman always seems to enjoy his moments in the spotlight, unsurprising given he has had a long route to the big time after serious shoulder and groin injuries left him close to quitting. Millman particularly thrives against Federer, who was powerless to stop some unnerving winners - typified by two crackerjacks in the match tie-break - and could not cope with his second serve.
But only a second victory against a top-10 player in 16 attempts — Federer, of course, also falling in the other - was snatched from his grasp as the Swiss won six straight points to seal victory in Melbourne.
“What a match. John deserves way more than half of this. He made it so difficult for me,” said Federer afterwards.
“He was doing all that stuff and kept on coming up with the goods. He deserves all the support - he is a great story and a great fighter.”
Meanwhile, Serena Williams says she made “far too many errors to be a professional athlete” as she was knocked out in the Australian Open third round.
The 38-year-old American lost 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 to China’s 27th seed Wang Qiang. The defeat means Williams’ quest for a 24th Grand Slam singles title goes on.
“I can’t play like that. I literally can’t do that again. That’s unprofessional. It’s not cool,” Williams said.
The seven-time champion in Melbourne beat 28-year-old Wang in just 44 minutes at the US Open in September when the Chinese player won only one game and 15 points. That was not reflective of the ability of a player who has been a regular fixture in the world’s top 30 over the past 18 months and reached a career high of 12 after her run in New York.
This time, after initially flinching when serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, she made amends in spectacular fashion.
Wang had the tools to hurt Williams and continued to execute them in a third set in which most observers would have backed her illustrious opponent to go on and win.
After briefly faltering again as Williams rallied, Wang sealed victory on her third match point.
“I honestly didn’t think I was going to lose that match,” said Williams when asked on her thoughts after levelling at one set all.
Williams had not lost so early in Melbourne since falling to Daniela Hantuchova at the same stage in 2006
Williams, seeded eighth, came into the match on the back of winning the Auckland Classic and relatively straightforward wins over Russia’s Anastasia Potapova and Slovakia’s Tamara Zidansek.
Instead of those results laying the platform for another title challenge, they preceded her earliest exit at the Australian Open since 2006.
“I made a lot of errors. I didn’t hit any of those shots in New York or in general in a really long time,” Williams said. “I just made far too many errors to be a professional athlete today. I’m definitely going to be training tomorrow. That’s first and foremost, to make sure I don’t do this again.”
Opportunities to equal Margaret Court’s record of Grand Slam singles titles are running out for Williams, who is in her 23rd year as a professional. She has not won a Slam since the 2017 Australian Open, when she was eight weeks pregnant.
Williams says she still has the drive to win that elusive 24th title and believes she can still match Australian Court.
“I definitely do believe or I wouldn’t be on tour,” she said. “I don’t play just to have fun. To lose is really not fun.”
American teenager Coco Gauff stunned defending champion Naomi Osaka in straight sets to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open. The 15-year-old excelled at the Rod Laver Arena and eased to a 6-3 6-4 victory in 67 minutes
Osaka, the world number four, struggled with unforced errors throughout - making 30 compared to Gauff’s 17.
“I don’t know where that came from,” the American said after the match. “Honestly, like, what is my life? Two years ago I lost in the first round in juniors and now I’m here,” Gauff added.
“I was telling myself one point at a time and keep fighting. You never know what happens on this court.”
Gauff will play either China’s Zhang Shaui or American Sofia Kenin in the fourth round. It was an uncharacteristically slow start for Japan’s Osaka who had won the pair’s only previous meeting at last year’s US Open.
The 22-year-old could not contain Gauff in the first set, especially when the American was on serve. Gauff completed 81% of her first serves compared to Osaka’s 61%. Despite Gauff making the quicker start, the pair each held serve until the ninth game when the American seized her opportunity.
An easy backhand miss from Osaka gave Gauff break point and it was another backhand error that gave the American the break which she held on to to take the first set 6-3.
The 15-year-old broke the Osaka serve again at the start of the second set, but could not hold for 2-0, allowing the defending champion to break back. But unforced errors continued to flow from the Japanese player and Gauff broke again to lead 4-3.
She served for the match and Osaka sent three straight returns long before hitting match point into the net, handing Gauff victory in the simplest of fashions.