John Millman secured the biggest win of his career on Tuesday morning when he defeated five-time US Open champion Roger Federer in four sets to book his spot in the quarter-finals.
Federer was the architect of his own downfall: he had a massive 76 unforced errors. Millman minimised his error count to a mere 28, and that was ultimately the difference between the two.
Federer started off very well, breaking Millman at the first time of asking to take an early 3-0 lead. Federer never relinquished that break and went on to take the first set 6-3.
The Swiss had to save seven break points in his opening service game of the second set, and he just managed to do that. It took Federer five break points to get his second break of the match as he took a 3-2 lead. He squandered two set points while serving at 5-4, but Millman took advantage of Federer’s sloppy play to break him twice in a row to level the match at one set apiece after taking the second set 7-5.
Federer had the only break point of the set in the opening game, but he could not convert. The set went to a tie-break. The breaker was a see-saw battle as Federer took a 3-1 lead, only to give the advantage back to Millman. The Australian won a vital point at 7-7 on Federer’s serve. He won the next point to take the lead in the match.
The fourth set went to serve until the sixth game when Federer broke to take a 4-2 lead. He could not capitalise on the break as he handed it right back to Millman in the following game with yet another unforced error. There were no further chances for either man as the fourth also went to a tie-break.
Federer’s errors continued as he lost two consecutive points on his serve. Fittingly, the match ended with a long forehand from the Swiss to hand the Aussie a 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7), 7-6(3) victory.
On the women’s side, Maria Sharapova also bowed out after suffering a straight-sets defeat to Carla Suarez-Navarro. Sharapova’s serve let her down; she was broken six times by Suarez-Navarro, who booked her place in the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-3 win.
Other selected men’s results:
Novak Djokovic defeated Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
Kei Nishikori defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-2, 7-5
Marin Cilic defeated David Goffin 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-4
Other selected women’s results:
Madison Keys defeated Dominika Cibulkova 6-1, 6-3
Naomi Osaka defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Lesia Tsurenko defeated Marketa Vondrousova 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-2
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