STEVE JOHNSON SUFFERING HEARTACHE OVER THE RECENT OVERNIGHT PASSING OF HIS DAD

Written by: Staff on 1st June 2017

French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros

STEVE JOHNSON SUFFERING HEARTACHE OVER THE RECENT OVERNIGHT PASSING OF HIS DAD

epa06001647 Steve Johnson of the USA cries after winning against Borna Coric of Croatia during their men?s single 2nd round matchduring the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 31 May 2017. EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH |

By Ricky Dimon

This is a time when Steve Johnson’s countrymen should pick up the slack and pick up some wins at the French Open.

Instead, it is Johnson–himself–who is shouldering the load for the American men at the French Open.

The world No. 26 is playing at Roland Garros less than three weeks after the sudden passing over his father, Steve Johnson Sr. After briefly thinking about skipping the season’s second grand slam, Johnson decided to battle through his emotions and give it a go in Paris.

So far the decision is paying off–no matter that it is coming at a great physical and emotional expense.

Johnson survived a first-round struggle against Yuichi Sugita that should have ended on Day 1 of the tournament but was eventually suspended overnight. The former University of Southern California star served for a straight-set victory on Sunday only to get broken, lose the ensuing tiebreaker, and be forced by darkness to return on Monday. Johnson recovered to prevail 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-7(3), 6-3 after a total of three hours and 34 minutes.

He persevered through an even longer affair with Borna Coric on Wednesday. Johnson saved two set points at 4-6 and 5-6 in a fourth-set tiebreaker to get the job done 6-2, 7-6(8), 3-6, 7-6(6) after three hours and 50 minutes.

The 25th seed put the exclamation point on his impressive performance by running around his backhand and blasting a forehand winner at 7-6 in the ‘breaker.

He immediately collapsed to the ground as the emotions boiled over.

“I have no idea what happened after I hit the forehand,” Johnson reflected. “I just kind of collapsed. Emotionally it got the best of me. Today was just such an emotional match–a long match, up and down. Just to get through it was something I know I’ll be very proud of.

“Throughout the match the tennis feels good, mentally you feel good… (But) there were times where my mind wandered a little bit here and there for a lot of different reasons. I was able to just get it back to the tennis. I was able to just find a way through it.”

Nobody could have blamed him if he had stayed away from this tournament. But the USTA–and not to mention a whole host of sympathetic fans–are thrilled that Johnson is playing. He is one of only two American men through to the third round, with the other being the always reliable John Isner. No other American man even reached the second round.

So, yes, thank goodness for Johnson.

“My mom and sister had this whole trip planned for years now,” Johnson explained. “She graduated college and they were going to come here and kind of follow me to Queen’s and then go back before she starts work and whatnot. My mom and sister and my fiancee are here, so it makes it easier and harder all at the same time to see them. Just the pain and…you know…just trying to get through it.

“It’s just hard.”