By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Skid marks scarred the red clay like routes marking a major map.
A driven Diego Schwartzman took giant steps subduing Dominic Thiem 7-6(1), 5-7, 6-7(8), 7-6(5), 6-2 battling into his first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros in a dizzying five hour, eight-minute marathon.
More: Podoroska Shocks Svitolina
Driven to the brink by two-time French Open finalist Thiem, Schwartzman was staring down a second straight agonizing Grand Slam fall. Last month, Schwartzman squandered a two-set lead bowing to Briton Cameron Norrie 7-5 in the fifth set in his US Open opener.
Today, the 5’7” Argentinean showed remarkable resilience and toughness against one of the game’s fittest competitors in a victory that catapults him into the Top 10.
In a fiercely physical fight, Schwartzman straddled the baseline on big points snapping Thiem’s run of four consecutive Roland Garros semifinals becoming the 10th Argentinean man to advance to a Grand Slam final four and the first since Juan Martin del Potro at the 2018 US Open.
"We both gave 100% in the match. I'm super disappointed that I lost, that I didn't make the semis this year," Thiem said. "But at the same time I'm happy for him. He really deserves it. It's an amazing achievement by him to break into the top 10 for the first time in the career.
"As I said, I'm happy for him. Maybe to lose against a friend hurts a little bit less."
Schwartzman was undaunted, Thiem was undeterred and together the two buddies and frequent practice partners pushed each other all over Court Philippe Chatrier collaborating on an epic.
Contesting his 300th Tour-level match, Schwartzman conceivably could have won this match in straight sets—he held a 5-4 second-set lead and built 5-3 leads in both the third and fourth sets—but he shook off Thiem’s charge and any lingering self-doubt dominating the decisive set against the fading Austrian with goliath desire.
"It was a tough situation because in the fourth, he started playing so well," Schwartzman said. "He played three unreal points, amazing points, because he's one of the best and he can do it.
"At that time I was thinking, Okay, c'mon, today is not going to happen. I had a lot of opportunities, easy, tough ones, hard. Every single opportunity was different. I didn't took it. Then the tiebreak was crazy. I played an amazing tiebreak in the fourth.
"In the fifth, I keep doing the same thing, being solid. At the end I think physically I finish better than him, so that's why was the win."
Both men exhibited huge hearts. Drained by his grueling five-set encounter with French wild card Hugo Gaston in the fourth round— three weeks after capturing his first Grand Slam title in a gripping five-set US Open final—Thiem trudged slowly between points in the opening set and looked staggered by the final set yet fought with all he had left.
Thiem's dream of becoming the first man to win the US Open and Roland Garros back-to-back left him drained, deeply disappointed and delighted for his friend.
"At the net I just told him that he deserves it. I think he's for the first time top 10 with that win," Thiem said. "That's also great achievement. First Grand Slam semifinals.
"I mean, we both gave everything. Well, the thing in tennis is that there is one loser, one winner. Despite I'm so disappointed, I'm still happy for him."
Winless in seven major matches against Top 5 opponents, Schwartzman carried an ignominious 1-23 record against Top 5 players onto court today. His one prior win over a Top 5 player came in Rome last month when he stunned world No. 2 Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-5 en route to the final.
Now, Schwartzman awaits the winner of 12-time Roland Garros champion Nadal and 19-year-old Italian sensation Jannik Sinner for a spot in the French Open final.
This was a banner day for Argentinean tennis as Buenos Aires native Schwartzman scored his biggest career win hours after compatriot Nadia Podoroska shocked third-seeded Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4 to make history as the first female qualifier to reach the Roland Garros semifinals.
Given Schwartzman earned virtually no free points on serve—he hit one ace in 254 service points—and had to face the gnawing reality he could have been off the court in straight sets his powerful positivity was vital to his comeback in a topsy-turvy match featuring 119 rallies that spanned nine or more shots.
Thiem seemed to catch a break in the sixth game when his shot that appeared wide was called good by the chair umpire despite protests from Schwartzman, who spiked a ball in frustration falling into a 2-4 hole.
The Argentinean turned anger into action breaking right back when Thiem’s drop shot caught the top of the tape.
The stubborn Schwartzman staved off double break point reeling off four straight points to even it up after eight games.
The Rome runner-up ran away with the first-set tiebreaker. A drop volley winner and flying forehand volley helped stake Schwartzman—who was 11 of 16 at net in the opening set—to a 5-0 lead. Shuffling his feet to adjust to a net-cord shot, Schwartzman roped a backhand winner crosscourt seizing a one-set lead after 62 minutes.
How much would Thiem, who conceded he was battling both physical and emotional fatigue after his fourth-round triumph, have left in the tank?
The third seeded needed a fast start to set two and got it winning eight of the first 11 points to take a 2-0 lead.
Schwartzman was serving at 1-3 when a mist began to spray heavier prompting both men to pause play. A couple minutes later they resumed with the roof still open.
In the sixth game, Thiem shoveled a backhand long to face double break point. Thiem donated the break on his first double fault of the day.
Tension tightened during a 16-minute game that spanned 22 points. A gritty Schwartzman stood tall amid the stress test fighting off five break points with a couple of timely volleys to hold for 5-4.
That grueling game took it out of Thiem who hit a couple of horrific drop shots in the ensuing game bailing out of points quickly. Schwartzman raced up to a short forehand that would have given him two set points if he made it. Instead, he slapped a routine shot into the net. Thiem somehow scraped through the hold with a bounce smash and sixth ace to level after 10 games.
Hangover from lost opportunity haunted Schwartzman who floated a forehand donating the break and a 6-5 lead. Thiem exploited a couple of errors to serve out the set after two hours, 13 minutes.
The world No. 14 took a bathroom break to rest. Thiem stayed on court and broke to start the third set.
Schwartzman continued to play longer rallies trying to drain the Austrian’s legs and lungs. Thiem tried to counter with the slice backhand, but Schwartzman slammed a forehand winner breaking again for 3-1.
Though Schwartzman broke for 5-3 and held a set point on Thiem’s serve at 5-4 he floated a rally shot long. Thiem ran off three games in a row and served for the third set at 6-5 only to gift three straight errors and the game.
In the third-set tiebreaker, Thiem scalded a forehand crosscourt snapping an 18-shot rally for 4-1. Thiem pulled the strong on an audacious drop shot for double set point at 6-4. Straddling the baseline, Schwartzman saved both finding the baseline for six-all.
Every time it seemed Thiem was running on empty, he dug into reserves rapping a forehand for a third set point at 7-6. The US Open champion thumped a smash to go up two sets to one.
All three topsy turvy sets eclipsed one hour and the marathon waged on into the fourth with more twists to come.
Serving to force a fifth set at 5-4, Schwartzman gained three set points. It was déjà vu all over again for the Argentinean. Thiem saved one with a drop shot then lasered a spectacular running forehand down the line to get back to deuce.
When Schwartzman netted a drive, Thiem was right back in the fourth set at 5-all.
The tension tightrope grew taut in the fourth-set tiebreaker. Thiem went up 4-3 in the breaker but committed consecutive unforced errors putting the tiebreak on Schwartzman’s racquet.
A crackling backhand down the line set up a drop shot winner as Thiem leveled 5-5 only to see Schwartzman dab a drop volley for set point at 6-5 earning his fourth set point. When Thiem missed a backhand down the line, Schwartzman raised a clenched fist to coaches Juan Ignacio Chela and Leonardo Olguin forcing a fifth set.
Two days after Thiem went to tortuous levels subduing French drop shot dragon Hugo Gaston in three-and-a-half hours he’d have to dig down deep and cross the five-hour mark against Schwartzman.
In contrast, Schwartzman, who had not surrendered a set in four prior tournament wins and spent about two hours less on court than his opponent, was far fresher than Thiem in the finale.
Erasing all of his prior near-misses from his mind, Schwartzman didn’t blink barging through a love break for 4-2. Schwartzman backed up the break at love.
A staggered Thiem was trying to hold on but when he bunted a slice into the net he was facing match point. Thiem tapped another drop shot into the net as Schwartzman showing both elation and exhaustion was through to his first major semifinal.
Confessing this adrenaline surge may make for a sleepless night, Schwartzman will kick back and watch Nadal vs. Sinner and enjoy two full days of recovery to fill his fuel tank before Friday's semifinals.
"I have a good situation about the recovery after the matches. I feel in a good way after the matches," Schwartzman said. "Before this match I was doing a great job winning in three sets.
"That's why it's very important to win when you have the opportunity in three sets because when is coming the five sets, you have to have the fuel tank full. I was perfect today. I think after two days I'm going to be perfect in semifinal."