Federer and Djokovic Both Survive at Roland Garros to Meet in the Semis

Roger Federer reached a record-tying 31st Grand Slam semifinal Tuesday, surviving a tough five-setter against Argentine Juan Martin del Potro 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-0, 6-3. Federer, playing in his 50th straight Grand Slam tournament and 32nd consecutive quarterfinal at the majors, took an 11-2 career advantage over the towering Argentine into Tuesday’s clash, but the third-seeded Federer, the 16-time Grand Slam title winner and 2009 champion in Paris, came back from two sets to love down for the seventh time in his career and will now take on top seed Novak Djokovic in the semis.

Del Potro’s hopes were finally sabotaged by a recurrence of the knee injury which has plagued him in Paris and which left him struggling to move by the end of Tuesday’s match. Despite coming onto Suzanne Lenglen court with his left knee heavily strapped, he broke Federer three times in the opening set to take the early advantage. Federer had been struggling on first serve and on his backhand, but he managed the first break to lead 3-2 in the second set, coming out on top after a grueling, brutal rally.

However, Del Potro, who had spent three hours more than Federer on court getting to this stage, suddenly faded in the third set as his physical condition deteriorated. He slipped 2-0 down on a double fault and at 3-1 down needed the doctor on court, a common sight throughout his Roland Garros campaign. Four games later, Federer broke again to take the third set. It was a similar tale in the fourth as the Swiss star romped to 6-0 with Del Potro, now struggling to move, winning just eight points. Ninth seed Del Potro needed his knee bandaged before the decider got underway, but Federer was easily on top and took victory when a forehand return from the Argentine clipped the net and sailed out.

World number one-ranked Novak Djokovic saved four match points and came back to beat France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 5-7, 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-1 in the French Open quarterfinals Tuesday, moving closer to a fourth consecutive Grand Slam title.

Djokovic’s next opponent will be Federer in a rematch of their semifinal at Roland Garros last year, when Federer ended the Serb’s 43-match winning streak. Since then, Djokovic has won 26 consecutive Grand Slam matches, including titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year, and the Australian Open in January. No man has won four straight major championships since Rod Laver in 1969.

Djokovic and Tsonga exchanged service breaks early in the third set, which looked destined for a tie-break, before Tsonga broke Djokovic’s serve to take it 7-5. Tsonga fended off three break points in the fifth game of the fourth set but could not convert two match point opportunities with Djokovic serving at 4-5, 15/40. Djokovic showed tremendous mental strength in the 12th game by saving two more match points.