Tommy Robredo came back from two sets to love down and from a break down in each of the last three sets to overcome Nicolas Amalgro in the fourth round of Roland Garros. If that feat were not impressive enough, this was Robredo’s third match in a row coming back from two sets down.
This rousing run began in the first round with an easy three set opener against Zopp. In the second round, Sisling took the first two sets before Robredo ran away with the last three. Then in the third round came Monfils who had four match points in the fourth set but was undone by Robredo’s aggressive play on those points, play that swung the momentum his way as he ran away with the fifth set 6-2.
Such experience in these matches meant that going down two sets to love did not faze Robredo. The 31 year old Spaniard, who is on the comeback after injuries and was ranked outside the top 400 a year ago, has also been to four Roland Garros quarter-finals, won a Masters 1000 and been around the top of the game on and off for close to a decade. Inspired by his recent return to form and powered on by muscle memory and the memories of past successes, Robredo competed with all his heart after going down a break in the third set to come back from 1-4 and clinch it 6-4.
In the fourth set Robredo once more went down 4-2. Again he kept on hitting the ball consistently and with a high margin for error, mixing up the depth, pace and spins, and sliding into his shots like a thief’s hand into a velvet pocket as he stole the fourth set from under Amalgro’s nose 6-4.
Amalgro, who may have at this point been being haunted by the nightmarish memories of letting a two sets to love lead slip against Ferrer in the Melbourne quarter finals, went up again in the fifth 2-0. But yet again the patient Robredo kept sliding and hitting away, some particularly fine back hand down the line passing shots boosting his spirit, to break back.
With the pattern of the last two sets in place, it looked likely that Robredo would win. However Amalgro broke again only to once more be broken as he went for too much to soon on his shots while his opponent constructed the points masterfully, waiting for the right opening to finish with a winner or force an error.
At 4-4, Robredo broke again to serve for the match, a prime position to be in. In a match like this though, this meant little. What had meant something however was Robredo’s desire. It was, as it has been all week, loud and clear. Robredo held firm and served out with relative ease to clinch his fifth Roland Garros quarter-final, inflicting on his opponent another heart-breaking defeat but more importantly winning for himself another marvellous memory which can only help him as he goes on to compete against another compatriot, David Ferrer, in the last eight.
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