Marco Cecchinato has knocked Novak Djokovic out of Roland Garros after a 6-3 7-6(4) 1-6 7-6(11) victory to make his first ever grand slam Semi-Final.
The Italian, started the match the strongest as he broke Djokovic early in the set, using his flat and powerful backhand to good effect. The world number 70 was looking to become the first Italian to be in the semi-finals at Roland Garros for 40 years and he made a positive start as his Serbian opponent was struggling with a neck injury.
After some neck treatment, the 2016 champion couldn’t mount any offence as Cecchinato was executing some sublime drop shots. The Italian kept his composure and regained his momentum as the first set was wrapped up in 25 minutes.
The second set saw the level from both players increase as the crowd were treated to one of the most entertaining sets of Roland Garros so far. The Serb cancelled out Cecchinato’s early break of serve as we finally got to see the passion and the fire that had been missing from his matches in the past.
Both players received code violation warnings for coaching as the Italian was forced to save three set points to force the tiebreak. The Italian showed a true strength in character as he continued to move the Serb around and eventually sealed the second set with a big serve.
However the world number 22 was known for his great comebacks and was relying on his experience to pull him through this contest. The Serb took advantage of a fatigued and frustrated Cecchinato as three breaks of serve were enough to seal the third set as his backhand was slowly improving as the match went on. The set was wrapped up in 30 minutes as momentum had severely shifted towards Djokovic.
The fourth set began with a point penalty for Cecchinato as he didn’t receive permission to leave the court to change his shoes. In the midst of all the confusion, the 12 time grand slam champion continued his fantastic level as he grabbed the early break of serve.
The Serb had the chance to move 5-1 up in the fourth set after having three break points on Cecchinato’s serve. The Italian eventually held and it seemed that he was a lot more energetic after that game as he broke the Serb in the ninth game to ensure the set was back on serve.
Nobody had seen this coming, especially considering Cecchinato’s frustration and fatigue early on in the set as he would force a dramatic fourth set tiebreak. The tiebreak saw Djokovic save a match point with a volley that was unbelievably good as well as the rallies going beyond 20 shots and causing a lot of stunned faces.
Djokovic (🎥Eurosport) pic.twitter.com/x9zEGmLmrU
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) June 5, 2018
An easy forehand miss on set point seemed to anger the former champion who then pleaded with the crowd to be quiet. However it was a backhand lob down the line that sealed the biggest win of Cecchinato’s career as he made his first grand slam semi-final.
The Italian was very emotional after the match as his distraught opponent was as always gracious in defeat giving Cecchinato a massive hug. The Italian had never won a grand slam match before this tournament and was two points away from defeat in his first round match, but everything can change in a week. Now the Italian is now two wins away from a first grand slam title and a place in Italian tennis history. The world number 70 will face Dominic Thiem in the semi-finals on Friday.
