It will be a blockbuster BNP Paribas Open final between Roger Federer and Juan Martin Del Potro after they got through vastly different semifinal matches on Saturday afternoon. Federer came back from countless deficits to survive Borna Coric 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, while Del Potro erased Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and five minutes.
In the first semifinal, Coric put forth a spirited effort but could not quite get across the finish line for what would have been the biggest win of his career. The 21-year-old Croat led by a break in the second set after taking the first and he twice led by a break in the third. Federer, however, stared down a 4-3 hole in the decider and promptly responded by winning the last 11 points of the match–breaking at 3-4 and 5-4.
“I think (I was) trying to understand Borna’s play, because he absorbs a lot of power very easily,” Federer said of his struggles. “He’s a great retriever. It became a bit of a cat-and-mouse game. And when you’re thinking you can play offense all the time and then he catches you off guard and you have to go back into defense, I felt like maybe in the beginning it wasn’t happening naturally.”
“It was a great match, definitely,” Coric commented. “I was really surprised how well I played, how much pressure I was putting on him, and I was also enjoying it. I think I was pushing him to the limits. He pushed me to the limits, for sure.
“It was very enjoyable, but at the same time it was tough. It doesn’t feel great to lose this match, but I know that’s tennis. I need to look at it from the positive side–just the whole tournament, and this match as well.”
Del Potro’s tournament is still alive and well, and it has been more impressive than anyone else’s. It continued in grand fashion on Saturday, when the 29-year-old Argentine trounced Raonic in swift and decisive style. Del Potro dropped a mere eight points in eight service games and converted a four of five break-point opportunities.
“I broke his serve very quick in both sets,” the world No. 8 reflected. “That give me the control of the match. I played a smart match, because the conditions were tough to play in. I served well. I took all my chances. It was an easier match than what I expected.”
Semifinal highlights:
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