Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Johnson beats Coric in four hours at French
PARIS — Steve Johnson, the 25th-seeded American, managed to edge Borna Coric 6-2, 7-6 (8), 3-6, 7-6 (6) and reach the French Open’s third round Wednesday.
For nearly four full hours, Johnson stayed the course, over and over, even as the oncourt 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.
On his fifth chance to end things, Johnson delivered a clean forehand winner to seal the victory. Then he let go, dropping onto to his knees near the baseline, his chest heaving, his eyes filling with tears.
Johnson’s father died 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, 27.
There were other winners and losers on Day 4 of the French Open, but nothing quite so poignant. The 12th-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga left meekly, eliminated 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-4 by 91st-ranked Renzo Olivo of Argentina after only one game Wednesday in a match suspended a night earlier because of darkness. It was 2008 Australian Open runner-up Tsonga’s first loss in the first round in Paris since his debut 12 years ago.
Others who advanced included defending champion Novak Djokovic and ninetime champion Rafael Nadal among the men, and defending champion Garbine Muguruza and former No. 1s Venus Williams (whose pregnant sister Serena was in the stands) and Caroline Wozniacki among the women. There were a couple of surprises: No. 6 Dominika Cibulkova was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by 114thranked Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, while 18-year-old Californian CiCi Bellis defeated No. 18 Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Two-time major champion Petra Kvitova, who needed surgery on her left hand after a knife attack at her home in December, bowed out in the second match of her comeback, a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) loss to American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands.