Sam Querrey needs just minutes to advance past Jo-Wilfred Tsonga to Round of 16
After an epic almost three hours on Friday, No. 24 seed Sam Querrey needed less than 10 minutes to finish No. 12 seed Jo-Wilfred Tsonga on Saturday.
The two men mutually decided to suspend play due to darkness on Friday evening with Querrey up 6-5 in the fifth set and Tsonga serving. On Saturday, Querrey broke Tsonga in the only game to finish off the 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 7-5 victory.
Friday produced some great tennis. As darkness descended on the players, so too did chants of “Play! Play! Play!” as the American and the Frenchman battled away. But after some discussion between the two players, they decided it would be better to resume the following morning. The two had alternated service holds for the entire set and were perhaps sensing that a longer match was in the making. At Wimbledon, of course, there is no tiebreak in the fifth set.
As it turned out, the long battle wasn’t to be. Tsonga lost three straight points after taking a 40-30 lead in the lone game Saturday, the final two off unforced errors.
It’s a really impressive win for Querrey over the one of the world’s best players. The veteran American registered 22 aces over the match, including five in the fifth set alone. Querrey is the first American through to the Round of 16 in men’s singles, too. His personal best at the All England Club is a quarterfinal appearance last year. He’ll meet Kevin Anderson of South Africa next, hoping to get back to the quarters.
