By Ricky Dimon
Before Monday, John Millman was a little-known commodity in the tennis world; well-respected by the diehards as both a tenacious fighter who was getting the most out his talent and also as one of the nice guys on tour in the locker. To the casual fan, though, he was a no-name.
Now, to everyone, he is John Millman: that guy who once beat Roger Federer in one of the biggest upsets in U.S. Open history.
That is the feat Millman accomplished during fourth-round action in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night. The 29-year-old pulled off a 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7), 7-6(3) stunner, battling back from a set and 5-4 down with Federer serving for a two-set lead. Somehow, some way, Millman eventually picked up the biggest win of his career–by a country mile–after three hours and 35 minutes.
Even though Federer has more off days at 37 years old than he used to, this result came so far out of left field that it remains borderline inexplicable even to those who witnessed it. Millman was previously 0-10 lifetime against top-10 opponents and he had compiled a mere 2-4 record in between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Federer, meanwhile, was coming off a runner-up finish in Cincinnati and he had not dropped a set through three rounds in Flushing Meadows.
Nothing suggested Millman had a chance.
“To be honest with you, coming into this tournament, my expectations were pretty low,” Millman said earlier in the tournament. “The time I thought I was going to be playing on Ashe was that practice session I had with Andy (Murray).”
Nope, we’re not talkin’ about practice. This was the real deal. And the good-natured Aussie didn’t just get to play an actual match against Roger Federer in Ashe, but he also won. He took down perhaps the greatest of all time on the greatest stage in tennis.
“Obviously it’s probably a bit of a shock to a lot of people,” Millman commented. “But, you know, that’s a great thing about tennis, that’s the great thing about sport: there’s always upsets that can happen.”
Federer had only good things to say about his opponent afterward. “I love his intensity,” the 20-time major champion quipped. “He reminds me of David Ferrer and those other guys [who] I admire a lot when I see them, when I see how they train, the passion they have for the game. I love his intensity.”
Federer already knew about Millman. Now the rest of the tennis world knows, too.
Topics: 10sballs, 2018 US Open, Atp, Federer tennis, Flushing Meadows, John Millman, New York, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis, Uniqlo, US Open