Federer and Djokovic Struggle But Pull Off French Open Wins
For a moment today at Day 10 of the 2012 French Open, it seemed as if both the number three seed, Roger Federer, and number one seed, Novak Djokovic, were on the verge of defeat. After losing the first two sets, it seemed as if the big man, Juan Martin del Potro, was going to be able to overcome his more experienced and more accredited opponent Federer. Once again, Federer was able to display his brilliance by pulling out the match in five sets. He rallied back for a 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 victory.
After winning the first set in less than an hour, Djokovic seemed like he would cruise through the rest of the match. However, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came out firing in the second set. He was using the energy and exuberance of the hometown French crowd to raise his energy level, and for the second and third set, he seemed to overpower the Serbian. In the fourth set, it looked like it was all over for Djokovic. His face looked annoyed as he asked for the towel after points and held his head low in frustration. Tsonga gave himself four match points; however, Djokovic held him off every single time. Watching the match, you could feel Tsonga’s eagerness to end the match then and there knowing rightly so that if it went to a fifth set Djokovic might be able to again swing free. In the end, this is exactly what happened. After an up and down fourth set tie-breaker Djokovic took the set and won the match 6-1, 5-7, 5-7, 7-6, 6-1. Djokovic and Federer will meet in the first semifinal matchup.
On the women’s side of the draw, the victor of this year’s French Open will be a first-time champion. Today, 2011 U.S. Open champ Samantha Stosur defeated Dominika Cibulkova in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, while the underdog, Sara Errani of Italy, was able to defeat her higher-ranked opponent, number 10 seed, Angelique Kerber, 6-3, 7-6. Stosur will face Errani in the semifinals.
