LAST UPDATE | 5 Jun 2018
WORLD NUMBER 72 Marco Cecchinato became the first Italian man in 40 years to reach a Grand Slam semi-final on Tuesday with a breathtaking 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 1-6, 7-6 (13/11) victory over 12-time major winner Novak Djokovic.
Cecchinato, who had never won a Grand Slam match in his career before Roland Garros, goes on to face Austrian seventh seed Dominic Thiem for a place in Sunday’s final.
In an epic fourth set tiebreaker, Djokovic saved three match points but wasted three set points as Cecchinato became the lowest-ranked man in the semi-finals in Paris since 100th-ranked Andrei Medvedev in 1999.
In a roller-coaster of a quarter-final, both men were warned for coaching, 2016 champion Djokovic required two medical timeouts while the Italian was docked a point for unsportsmanlike behaviour.
Djokovic had also squandered three set points in the second set and failed to serve out the fourth in the ninth game after being 5-2 in front.
In an extraordinary post-match press conference, Djokovic then said he may even skip Wimbledon where he has been champion three times.
“I don’t know if I am going to play on grass,” said the Serb.
Cecchinato said he was stunned by his triumph, coming just two years after his career was almost derailed when he became embroiled in match fixing allegations.
“Maybe I’m sleeping. It’s amazing, it’s unbelievable for me. I’m very happy because it’s unbelievable to beat Novak Djokovic in a quarter-final at Roland Garros. It’s amazing,” said the 25-year-old who is the first Italian to get this far at a Slam since Corrado Barazzutti at Roland Garros in 1978.
“I was two breaks down on the tie-breaker and I had two or three match points and then on the fourth one I was very tired.”
Djokovic saluted Cecchinato who he warmly embraced at the net.
“He played amazing, so congratulations for a great performance,” he said.
“I struggled at the beginning and also had a little injury at the beginning. After then I warmed up and it was better, but yeah, just a pity that I couldn’t capitalise on some break points at 4-1 in the fourth set.”
Djokovic, bidding to reach a 32nd Grand Slam semi-final, hit just three winners in the first set.
The 31-year-old also needed a medical timeout to treat a neck injury which looked as if it would derail him when he slipped 0-2 down in the second set to the Italian outsider.
However, Djokovic levelled at 2-2 and then survived two break points — and a 30-stroke rally — in the seventh game.
In a tense encounter, both men were slapped with code violations for coaching before Cecchinato gallantly saved three set points.
He made Djokovic pay for that failure to convert when he reeled off four successive points in the ensuing tiebreaker.
In a topsy-turvy afternoon on Court Suzanne Lenglen, Djokovic raced through the third set in just 27 minutes before requiring further medical attention, this time for a right leg injury.
While that was happening, Cecchinato was docked a penalty point for unsportsmanlike conduct after a lengthy argument with the umpire and supervisor for leaving the court without permission.
Djokovic sprinted out to 5-2 but was reeled back in to 5-5, having squandered three points for a double break in the sixth game.
In a nail-biting tiebreaker, Djokovic saved the first match point with a no-look backhand volley before throwing away his third set point with a ballooned forehand with the court at his mercy.
Thiem reached his third successive French Open semi-final with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 demolition of a hobbled and exhausted Alexander Zverev who admitted he was close to quitting the tie.
German second seed Zverev simply ran out of gas, paying a heavy price for needing three successive five-set matches to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
His Roland Garros marathon also left him physically drained — he needed his left thigh strapped in the second set.
“He is one of the fittest guys on the tour so it was difficult for him today,” said Thiem, the only man to have defeated 10-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal on clay this year.
“I hope we have many more matches at the Grand Slams but when we are 100 percent.”
The statistics made bleak reading for Zverev — he finished with 42 unforced errors and just 19 winners.
Zverev said he will undergo an MRI to discover the seriousness of his injury.
He admitted he was also close to quitting at 1-5 down in the second set.
“I definitely thought about it, but I didn’t want to pull out for the first time of my career in a Grand Slam quarter-final,” said Zverev.
“I knew I’m not going to win the match. There was no way for me. I could barely move. I couldn’t serve. I couldn’t really do anything.
“But I still wanted to finish the match and give the credit to Dominic. He deserves to be in the semi-finals.”
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No you’re the Crystal Palace of Merseyside
@Nucky: in that Liverpool have won more games, scored more goals and conceded less than palace is it?
@Mick Power: you’ve won one more game then palace so far this month and both of you got spanked by city
@Nucky: didn’t realise it goes by the month, the premier league have the wrong table up.
@Nucky: First English team to ever complete the Historic treble in 1984 league cup, league title, european cup. 5 times winner’s and retainers you’ll never sing that.OUCHHHH ACERS girlygirl xx
@Mrs. Nugent: I do hope there’s a cure for what you have. You strange little boy
@Mrs. Nugent: poor Marcus but you’ll never be the first English team to win the European cup or win the ‘clean sweep ‘of all trophies available to clubs.
@Johnny Bravo: that was Chelsea
@Johnny Bravo: first team with the clean sweep that is
@Johnny Bravo: its great knowing its eating you up. 1984 : original treble completed by the Pool. First done by us. Haahhah OUCHHHH ACERS girlygirl xx
@Philip Mc dermott: The clean sweep includes the Intercontinental cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Chelsea nor any other English team have won them.
@Mrs. Nugent: dream on petal x
@Johnny Bravo: 5 TIMESSSSS YOU’LL NEVER EVER EVER EVER SING THAT OUCHHHHH ACERS girlygirl xx European cup for keepies baby girl pop down to Merseyside if you ever want to see the real deal. It lives there permanently. Hahaahahahahahahaahaa poor darling xx
@Johnny Bravo: Liverpool have won as many Super cups as the Mancs have won European cups you mug, we have double the Europeans titles. And that is a FACT my sweet little potatoe !!
@Johnny Bravo: sorry i thought you meant actual trophies played over months not one off games.
@Mrs. Nugent: you’ve never won them all angry boy and never will. I’m so glad you have a silly song about the past to sing cause you don’t have one about the future. BTW what time is it ? 5 past mingolet?? Blahahahaha Ciao jealous ladyboy …
@Mrs. Nugent: It happened 5 times …..it happened 5 times …….at the Etihad Stadium …..it’s happened 5 times
There ya go ya big girls blouse
Need to get some real defenders so, sharpish!!
Beginning to believe that mignolet is a good keeper doesn’t help that defence changes every game
@Trevor Carpenter: Drunk already on a Sunday lad?
@Trevor Carpenter: Delusional!
@Trevor Carpenter: valid intelligent comment imo
More like the RodneyTrotters !
Surely Klopp would love a winning record that came close to that of the Harlem Globetrotters
Damn right your not!! they always won