The score is too dry to tell the story here, as 34th-ranked Frenchman Gilles Simon took No. 2 seed Roger Federer to the wire in a five-set match on Day 3 of the Australian Open 2011. Federer def. Simon, 6-2 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-3 doesn’t really cover the drama that just unfolded in Rod Laver Arena.
Roger Federer vs. Gilles Simon, Australian Open 2011: Five-Set Match Concludes Day 3 Play
Simon was down two sets to none to begin the match, and at one point late in the fifth set battled back from triple match point. Federer made 53 unforced errors, which will surely be attributed by sage television commentators to his hot wife and young twin daughters. He found his afterburners in the end, however, winning the match with an ace in classic Federer fashion.
These two have played close matches before, but a relieved Federer quipped in his interview afterwards, “Hopefully, we won’t play each other any more.”
“Today I got lucky.”
Next up for Federer: Belgium’s Xavier Malisse awaits in the third round.
Stay tuned to this StoryStream for more updates on Day 3 of the Australian Open 2011.
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