Australian Open 2020: Matches to Watch on Wednesday Night (Into Thursday)

Roger Federer, who played his first ATP Event in Gstaad, Switzerland, in 1998, has had plenty of time to reinvent his game. At this year’s Australian Open, he has gained yet another designator: escape artist. He faced seven match points from Tennys Sandgren, his opponent in the quarterfinals, after surviving with a similar effort against John Millman in the third round. In a postmatch interview, Federer admitted: “It’s just luck at some point. I’ve been on the other side as well. These ones just sting and they hurt. But I could have blinked at the wrong time and shanked. That would have been it.”

Federer played down concerns about a midmatch medical timeout and the length of his matches, saying: “It really depends sometimes how you’re feeling inside, how much it takes away from you. But I must say I feel pretty good right now.”

Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, stumbled in his first match, dropping a set to the unseeded Jan-Lennard Struff. But he has since won each match in straight sets. Djokovic, who relies on his movement to extend points and force opponent errors, showed off all of his best qualities against a resurgent Milos Raonic, the 32nd seed. The biggest testament to Djokovic’s play is how he has been imitated in his career. To watch other players sliding on hardcourts is a pale imitation of the art Djokovic has perfected.

These two greats will meet for the 50th time, two of the so-called Big Three locked in what at times seems like an infinite struggle. But dynamics shift. Federer, beloved, finds himself in the unusual role of underdog. Though it may have been true in a few of their previous matches as well, the gap this time looks foreboding for the Swiss. Federer won their last match at the ATP Finals in November, but his inconsistencies this week will prove hard to overcome against the indefatigable Djokovic. Or perhaps it will be time for one more escape act.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/sports/australian-open-matches-wednesday.html?emc=rss&partner=rss