‘He’s with me’: Mourning his dad, American wins

Steve Johnson held everything in, all of it, until he simply could not any longer.

Still mourning the recent death of his father, a tennis coach who helped Johnson learn the game back home in California, the 25th-seeded American didn’t allow the jumble of feelings show outwardly. He didn’t permit them to affect his ability to smack a tennis ball, either, and managed to edge Borna Coric 6-2, 7-6 (8), 3-6, 7-6 (6) and reach the French Open’s third round.

For nearly 4 full hours Wednesday, Johnson stayed the course, over and over, even as the on-court particulars grew complicated. He managed to be OK even after his initial four match points slipped away. And even when he was docked a point by the chair umpire for what an incredulous Johnson considered an innocuous extra hit of the ball deep in the fourth set. And yet again when Coric twice was a single point from forcing a fifth set.

Only when, on his fifth chance to end things, Johnson delivered a clean forehand winner to seal the victory, did he let go, dropping onto to his knees near the baseline, his chest heaving, his eyes filling with tears.

“I have no idea what happened after I hit the forehand. I just kind of collapsed and, emotionally, it got the best of me,” said Johnson, who faces No. 6 Dominic Thiem next. “The other days, I was able to kind of get to the locker room and kind of compose myself a little bit. Today was just such an emotional match. A long match. Up and down. Just to get through it was something that I know I’ll be very proud of.”

At the other end of the court, Coric mangled his racket by rearing back and smashing it one, two, three, four times, then after a pause, once more for good measure.

Coric said afterward he knew about the personal difficulty his foe was dealing with.

“Super tough, definitely,” the 40th-ranked Croatian said. “And all the credit to him, that he was able to go through this period and also to play this good.”

After they shook hands, Johnson leaned his head on his arm atop the net, sobbing.

Steve Johnson Sr. passed away three weeks ago. “I know it’s going to be emotional for quite some time. Who knows how long it’ll take? I just know he’s with me. He raised me to be a competitor and a fighter to the last point. And that’s what I try to do with my tennis,” said Johnson.