For those who thought that Pablo Andújar's victory against Roger Federer was a coincidence, the Cuenca man showed this Sunday at Roland Garros that his feat was not a one-day flower and that what he did in Geneva had a lot of merit despite the fact that the Swiss is not going through his best moment of form due to the lack of competition.
And it is the one that Spanish rallied from a two-set deficit against Dominic Thiem, a two-time finalist of the tournament, world number four and champion of the US Open 2020 who had never lost in the first round. Andújar did not lose faith after giving up in the first two rounds after putting up a lot of resistance and grew to take another prestigious victory, against a rival who had beaten him in his three duels, for 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 and 6-4 in the center, the Philippe Chatrier. After 4h: 28 of battle, Andújar knelt first behind his last winning right hand and then sat on the clay. When he got up he put his hands to his head, as he did the day he beat the Swiss. And he wrote on the camera the names of his wife and three children. Life has given him another chance at 35 years old in a complicated career due to an injury that kept him off the track for almost two years. Now, by the way of a seeded, a more affordable rival awaits him, which could be the Argentine Delbonis or the Moldovan Albot. He had been losing in the first round for three years in a row.
“I am the first surprised. It is very special for me, I have never stopped believing to continue here and I am very happy, “explained Pablo. “It was very difficult, in the third set the wind was blowing very strong. For me it is a gift to win a player like Thiem on a court like Philippe Chatrier,” he added before talking about his victory against Federer. “Santa Claus has teamed up with me these last few weeks, because Roger's was another gift. Maybe that helped me believe this time. I knew that if I passed that third set I could get it, because I had the level ”.
Intelligence and courage
And he was not wrong. With intelligent variations in serves and a fearless and very successful game on the netAndújar ate one of the best on the circuit, especially on gravel, although he is not in the way that made him stroke the championship twice in Paris, where he could have achieved glory had it not been for a certain Nadal. In the fifth set, after breaking to go 3-2 and serve, the Spanish endured the pressure with integrity and focused on carrying out his services. He triumphed by faith and perseverance.
“This afternoon and tomorrow I will enjoy, but I have to go down to earth and I have to try to return as soon as possible to the same situation I was in, do some mental work of concentration and face the second round in the same way ”. This is Andújar.
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