There will be no 'Slam Querrey' after all. After taking the first set against Marin Cilic, it looked as if Sam Querrey was about to pull off another upset at Wimbledon.
He had, after all, dethroned Andy Murray in the previous round to become the first American man into the last four of a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.
But Cilic, a former US Open winner, rallied to win 6-7(8), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-5 and move to his first Wimbledon final.
“It's been a fun run,” Querrey said. “It’s given me some confidence.”
Querrey, a down-to-earth 28-year-old Californian who once made an appearance on an American television show called The Millionaire Matchmaker, has now lost all five matches he’s played against Cilic.
“Marin is just really good,” Querrey said. “He's tough on both sides. I felt like he pushed me around a little bit today. I had that break in the fourth. When he broke me back, he just played a great game. Kind of deflated me a little bit. But he just does everything really well.”
Although Querrey had gone the distance in his previous three rounds, beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Kevin Anderson and Murray in five sets, fatigue was not a factor in the semi-final, he said.
“The five-setters weren't that long,” Querrey said. “On grass, the points aren't very long. It's not as physically demanding on your body as it is on the clay courts or the hard courts. I felt fine today.”
A battle on grass between two players who each stand at 6ft 6in (1.98m) was always going to be decided on the serve. Statistics show that 212 out of a total of 271 points were rallies of no more than four shots.
It's been a fun run. It’s given me some confidence
Although it had taken Querrey 42 Grand Slam appearances to make his first semi-final – the longest wait, alongside David Ferrer, since 1968 – he felt calm against Cilic.
“I was actually more nervous against Andy in the quarter-finals,” Querrey said. “Today I felt pretty good. The first set, we traded holds early. That really settles me. That settles anyone, when you can kind of get out there and win your first few service games. So I felt fine.”
For the second year in succession, Querrey knocked out the defending champion at The Championships. A quarter-final last year, a semi-final this year. Could he be playing for the title in 2018?
“Pencil me in for a final, and hopefully that will happen,” Querrey said. “We'll see.”
