In his interview with ESPN, Roger Federer described himself as “Pac-Man” during the stretch of thirteen games in a row he won in his four set win over Nikolay Davydenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 after the Russian dominated Federer for a set and a half. Meanwhile in his press conference, Davydenko described the moment differently.
Q. What was going through your mind as you were losing all those games?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Pissed off. (Laughter.) What else? Yeah. Like say I’m pissed off of my serve. Pissed off. I didn’t realize this point, I didn’t realize this point. It’s like everything was shit (laughter.)
Everything may have been as Kolya says. But the fact he allowed a missed backhand that could have given a double break point in the second set to rattle him so badly that he couldn’t win a game for an hour will be something he’ll have to live with for the rest of the season. Again and again in this tournament, it’s mental errors and lack of focus that are costing players like Davydenko and Roddick chances to advance.
Meanwhile Jo-Wilfried Tsonga kept his focus even when his opponent, Novak Djokovic, was forced to take a medical timeout for what he later described as nasuea and diarrahea probably from something he ate. “Nole” fought hard to try and get back into the fifth set, but it was Tsonga who didn’t let the moment get to him and advanced to his second AO semifinal with the 6-7(8), 7-6(5), 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 win.
This will be a bitter loss for Djokovic who looked on form and ready to challenge for the title. It’s the second year in a row that physical issues have forced Djokovic out of the event. He can take some small comfort in the possibility he could rise to No.2 in the world if Andy Murray fails to win the event.
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