Millman stuns Federer with fourset win
NEW YORK CITY: Unseeded and unfancied, Australian tennis journeyman John Millman has turned the US Open upside down with a colossal fourthround upset win over 20times grand slam champion Roger Federer.
In a lifechanging performance, Millman left Federer — and fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium — shellshocked with a 36, 75, 76 (97), 76 (73) comeback victory to book a quarterfinal date with another all time great, Novak Djokovic.
Millman stared down the greatest player of the professional era to send the world No 2 crashing to his earliest grand slam defeat in almost four years.
‘‘I’m probably in a little bit of disbelief,’’ Millman said after smashing Federer’s 40from40 record against nontop 50ranked rivals at the US Open.
‘‘I have so much respect for Roger and everything he’s done for the game. He’s been a hero of mine and today he was definitely not at his best but I’ll take it.’’
It was only Federer’s third defeat from 35 matches at the majors since Wimbledon two years ago.
The upset for the ages looked remote when Federer broke Millman — playing his first fourthround match at a slam at age 29 — in the second game on his way to taking the opening set.
‘‘The feet weren’t moving,’’ Millman said, likening himself to ‘‘a deer in the headlights’’.
‘‘Roger had it on a string, he was manipulating me around the court.
‘‘I got out of a tough second set and really found my feet and started to be a bit more aggressive.
‘‘I started to serve really well and probably capitalised a little bit on Roger having an off service day.’’
While few gave the Brisbane baseliner a chance, Federer had full respect for Millman, having invited him to Switzerland before Wimbledon this year to prepare for the grasscourt season.
But he could not have expected him to maintain such a high level for more than three and ahalf hours.
In addition to earning a crack at Djokovic on Wednesday for an improbable place in the semifinals, Millman is guaranteed a $660,000 payday and a rankings rise to No 37 in the world.
Should he win, he will leapfrog Kyrgios to become Australia’s new No 1.
And all this after Millman feared his career was over following two shoulder surgeries and then a groin operation last year.
The winner of the Djokovic-Millman quarterfinal will play seventhseeded 2014 champion Marin Cilic or Japanese star Kei Nishikori for a spot in Sunday’s title match.
Millman is the first Australian to reach the men’s quarterfinals in New York since 2001 champion Hewitt 12 years ago.
But the world No 55 will need to reverse a straightsets drubbing at the hands of Djokovic just two months ago at the Queen’s Club to continue his giantkilling run.
‘‘Last time I played him I got three games,’’ he said. ‘‘Let’s hope for a few more.’’