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6/1/08 7:31 AM | Ricky Dimon
Down two sets and a break, Fernando Gonzalez rises from the dead to stun Stanislas Wawrinka in a five-set thriller. Gonzalez improbably moves on to face the surprising Robby Ginepri in the fourth round.
Fernando Gonzalez staged a logic-defying rally on Saturday in the third round of the French Open, coming back from two sets and break down to shock 9th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka 5-7, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in three hours and 19 minutes.
Wawrinka stormed into Roland Garros having made it to the semifinals in Barcelona and finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic at the Masters Series Rome during the clay-court season, and for two and a half sets it looked like Gonzalez had no chance of halting that momentum. The Swiss looked to dictate play in the early going with his superb one-handed backhand while exploiting Gonzalez's weaker side, the backhand. Wawrinka also dominated his first-serve points, something the No. 24 seed was totally unable to do since he usually waits to go for big shots with his forehand rather than with his serve.
Suddenly and almost inexplicably, Gonzalez and that forehand turned the match upside down, around, and on its head when trailing 7-5, 6-2, 3-0. The first break back seemed to rattle Wawrinka's confidence to successfully close out the match, and one more break allowed the Chilean to surge to the third-set victory.
Wawrinka called a brief medical timeout early in the fourth and his movement did seem to be hindered thereafter, but that easily could have been due to loss of belief or that Gonzalez simply began running him all over the place with punishing forehands. He failed to muster up almost any winners over the final two sets, while Gonzalez, with renewed vigor, cut down his unforced errors in addition to blasting away off the forehand side.
Gonzalez secured a quick break in the last frame of play and seeing his opponent both mentally and physically worn out, he did not put forth too much effort into the rest of Wawrinka's service games, instead deciding to focus on serving it out. He did so with absolutely no problems whatsoever, sending Wawrinka home in stunning fashion.
Gonzalez advances to the fourth round, where he will face the surprising American Robby Ginepri, who had never won a match at the French Open in five previous appearances. The head-to-head series is in Gonzalez's favor at 3-0, but this is their first-ever encounter on clay.
Incredible fight from Gonzalez, who in the past has not always been the strongest mentally.
Disappointing collapse for Wawrinka, of whom big things were expected this week after his great clay-court campaign.
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Did you know that... Lleyton Hewitt won an ATP-title in Adelaide 1998, ranked as number 550 in the world.
tenstar, Aug 29, 2008 10:57 AM
ed251137, Aug 29, 2008 9:47 AM
ed251137, Aug 29, 2008 9:35 AM
agf25agf, Aug 28, 2008 1:21 PM
tenstar, Aug 28, 2008 11:06 AM
BernieEliza, Aug 29, 2008 8:58 AM
DejaBlue, Aug 28, 2008 7:05 PM
dusko82, Aug 28, 2008 11:33 AM
Did you know that... Olivier Rochus is an excellent table tennis player.
tenstar, Aug 29, 2008 10:57 AM
ed251137, Aug 29, 2008 9:47 AM
ed251137, Aug 29, 2008 9:35 AM
agf25agf, Aug 28, 2008 1:21 PM
tenstar, Aug 28, 2008 11:06 AM
BernieEliza, Aug 29, 2008 8:58 AM
DejaBlue, Aug 28, 2008 7:05 PM
dusko82, Aug 28, 2008 11:33 AM
Stanislas Wawrinka
Fernando Gonzalez
French Open
