German Tommy Haas saved three match points to beat sixth seed
James Blake 4-6 6-4 3-6 6-0 7-6 in a pulsating fourth-round
encounter at the US Open on Monday.
James Blake of the US (L)
and Tommy Haas of Germany await the result of Haas' challenge in
the fifth set tie break during their match at the US Open tennis
tournament in Flushing Meadows, New York September 3, 2007. Haas
initiated the challenge and won the point and the match.
(AP)
After hitting back from two sets to one down to lead 4-2 in the
fifth set, Haas allowed the American back into the contest and had
to save three match points at 4-5 before taking the tiebreak
7-4.
"Such a close score at the end, it was like a thriller in the
fifth, being up, (Blake) coming back and saving match points at
4-5," 10th seed Haas told the crowd.
"I tried to stay calm and fight for every point. It's great. To
be in the quarter-final once again is an awesome feeling."
The scintillating, see-saw match saw some brilliant
shot-making.
Haas is celebrating his
victory.
Haas belted 69 winners, while Blake had 75. The combatants were
virtually matched in unforced errors with just 39 for the German
and 38 for the American.
"The whole fifth set was very dramatic," Haas told reporters. "I
think we both played unbelievable tennis in the fifth set. I think
it was a lot of winners from both sides."
Blake looked to have the momentum when he led by two sets to one
but Haas won eight games in a row to go 2-0 up in the fifth.
The German also had a point for 5-2 but Blake rallied to level
before holding his match points, only for Haas to save all three
with big serves.
Haas won a crucial point in the tiebreaker after a rousing rally
that saw Blake make a great retrieval of a deep lob only to see the
German launch another lob for a winner to take a 4-3 lead he would
never relinquish.
"What a point, yeah," the 29-year-old Haas said. "I think if I
would have lost that point, the crowd would have gone absolutely
ballistic. That might have given him an extra edge."
Haas went through to the last eight for the third time in four
years, his 18th ace securing victory.
"He served great when I had match points, made every first
serve," Blake said. "I had chances in the breaker and didn't take
them."
Haas next plays fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, a
straight-sets winner over South Korean Lee Hyung-taik.
(China Daily via Reuters September 4, 2007)
