MELBOURNE, Australia -- Roger Federer's record of 20 Grand Slam titles could be equaled by Rafael Nadal at this Australian Open. But Federer's own run here nearly ended before that could happen, at the hands of a player considerably further down the pantheon of greats.
Tennys Sandgren, a Tennessean ranked 100th, had seven match points in the fourth set of his quarterfinal match against third-seeded Federer on Tuesday afternoon, but Federer staved off each one, ultimately hanging on for a 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3 victory in Rod Laver Arena.
"You've got to get lucky sometimes, I tell you that," Federer said in his on-court interview.
Sandgren made unforced errors on five of the seven match points, including two prolonged exchanges that ended on the 19th shot of a rally.
It was the second nail-biting escape of Federer's tournament. In the third round Friday, Federer trailed 47th-ranked John Millman 8-4 in a fifth-set, first-to-10 tiebreaker before reeling off six consecutive points to eke out a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (10-8) victory.
Sandgren, 28, had never faced Federer, but he showed his readiness for the match by earning a break point in the first game, and then saving five in his own first two service games. Federer won the opening set, but Sandgren won nine of the next 11 games to pull ahead in the match.
Federer began to unravel midway through the third set. He became incensed after receiving a code violation for an audible obscenity when a lineswoman reported hearing him swear, and he accosted her in the back of the court afterward. When Sandgren took a 3-0 lead in the set, Federer called for the physiotherapist, then took an off-court medical timeout for several minutes for treatment for a groin injury.
It'll be the 50th meeting between No. 3 Federer and No. 2 Djokovic. Djokovic leads their head-to-head series 26-23, including their past five matches at majors.
"Roger is Roger. You know that he's always going to play on such a high level, regardless of the surface," Djokovic said. "He loves to play these kind of matches, big rivalries, semis, finals of Grand Slams."
Early today, Simona Halep returned to the Australian Open semifinals, and Garbine Muguruza made it for the first time.
The pair of two-time major winners will play for a spot in the final of the season-opening major after No. 4 Halep and unseeded Muguruza won their quarterfinals in straight sets.
Both already have won Wimbledon and the French Open and been ranked No. 1, and they are bidding for their first Grand Slam title on a hard court.
The 28-year-old Romanian said that tough loss was the main push for her breakthrough win that year at Roland Garros, where she beat Muguruza in the semifinals.
Halep needed only 53 minutes to beat first-time major quarterfinalist Anett Kontaveit 6-1, 6-1.
Muguruza took a little more than 11/2 hours to eliminate No. 30 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-3, with both players struggling with their serves in the sun from one end. Five of the eight service breaks were in the first set, which lasted 56 minutes.
The win earned Muruguza a spot in the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the first time, and her first at any Grand Slam tournament since the French Open in 2018.
Australian Open At Melbourne Park
Melbourne, Australia
Surface: Hardcourt outdoor
MEN’S SINGLES
Quarterfinals
Roger Federer (3), Switzerland, def. Tennys Sandgren, United States, 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3.
WOMEN’S SINGLES
Quarterfinals
Simona Halep (4), Romania, def. Anett Kontaveit (28), Estonia, 6-1, 6-1.
Garbine Muguruza, Spain, def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (30), Russia, 7-5, 6-3.
Sports on 01/29/2020