Roger Federer took advantage of a rain delay in the third set against Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon Finals to rally from behind to win the championship.
Now Federer faces a different spot. After winning the third set, he took a 2-1 lead on Andre Agassi 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 when rain postponed last night’s ballyhooed quarterfinal match amidst the opening game of the fourth set.
The rain halted play at 9:45 p.m., and after a one-hour, 37-minute delay, the match was postponed at 11:22 p.m. and will resume today at about 2 p.m. Those with tickets for last night’s card can exchange them for today’s day session.
About 2,000 diehards were still on hand, just as the courts had been dried, when another shower struck, forcing immediate cancellation. When Agassi and Federer walked onto the court at 7:30 p.m. for the heavily billed quarterfinal, fewer than 1,000 fans were scattered about the 22,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The day session had been wiped out by rain and most night-card ticketholders, listening to weather reports, figured the evening session was next to be scratched. The Flushing Meadows parking lots were as empty as Shea at a Met game in September.
But Agassi and Federer fought for three sets and 1:46 as the crowd’s size steadily built, growing to two-thirds full by the time the storm arrived. Agassi had been serving, at deuce, when the players retired to the locker room.
Open officials had been so desperate to fill the stadium they allowed fans with I.D. proving Queens residency free admission.
The winner of Federer-Agassi will play the winner of the postponed Tim Henman/Dominik Hrbaty. Henman leads, 2-0, in sets but trails 5-4 in the third, on serve.
Two other men’s quarterfinals today has Lleyton Hewitt vs. Tommy Haas on the day session and Sweden’s Joachim Johansson against Andy Roddick in a battle of big-serving, ace-loving behemoths tonight.
The pre-match thinking was Federer could be intimidated by a pro-Agassi night crowd. However, with little buzz in the first set, Federer had little trouble, closing out the set with an ace.
Agassi played with a controlled fury in the second, putting Federer on the run across the baseline. At one juncture spanning the second and third sets, Agassi won 13 straight points on his serve.
Agassi broke Federer in the second game of the second set. He went up 15-40 hitting an overhead smash at the net after running Federer ragged. Agassi, at 34 the oldest player on the tour, broke again to close out the second set at 6-2.
All the momentum was on Agassi’s side. On the first game of the third, Agassi served out at love, making an uncharacteristic low backhand volley winner.
Agassi had two break points on Federer’s ensuing serve but couldn’t get it done. Federer slowly regained composure. They were on serve at 5-5 when Agassi got broken. At 30-30, Agassi served a double fault, creating Federer’s first break point of the set. Then Agassi punched a backhand into the top of the net. It bounced up but did not fall over the net. Federer served for the third set.
