I didn’t have fillet mignon today - rather, I opted for a tougher, 24 oz porterhouse, which kept me sedated for a while at the dinner table. In fact, guests saw me five hours later, still picking away at the choice meat. That’s also how long this battle between Djokovic and Marcos Baghdatis ended up running. In probably the most back-and-forth match that I’ve seen  this year, Djokovic and Baghdatis traded shots, momentum, and everything else during their quarterfinal, which was (or so I thought at the time) the most entertaining match of the day. Saying that, it was also probably the quickest five hours of tennis that I’ve ever seen, primarily because the tennis was so entertaining. I didn’t give Marcos a chance after being unable to convert on one of six set points in the second set, but the Cypriot again showed that he’s always a contender on the biggest stages. The only problem was that he ran into someone in Djokovic who’s even better than he is at that particular element of the game.

Djokovic looked beaten up and wilted after the fourth set; I almost expected a handshake at the net for the impending retirement. But there would be no reprise of the 2006 French Open - Djokovic instead got stronger as the final set progressed. The heavy forehand and backhand were of equal value to the Serb, as they became the shots that constantly prevented Baghdatis from assuming any sort of authority of the fifth set. Djokovic’s serve was also potent, as even four hours after the match had commenced, 130+ mph bombs were still raining down on Baghdatis. Marcos certainly played well, and I thought he was going to win this match on a few occasions. But in the end, Djokovic showed why he is already on a higher plane than nearly every player on tour not named Federer or Nadal, winning 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 4-6, 7-5 to advance to the semifinals against Rafa. For the past few years, there has been the first and second ranked players on tour, then a huge chasm in ranking points for everyone else. I think it’s only a matter of time before Djokovic crosses that threshold and starts to be regarded in the same immaculate light. He’s going to win Grand Slams, and while I don’t think it will be this week, they will come soon.

Third Course - Desert: Richard Gasquet

After some delightful starters that I’ve traditionally loved, followed by an epic match, I had to remind myself that the match that I was personally looking forward to the most was still to come.

When I visited Paris three years ago, I made a point to get some crème brûlée at one of the many cafés that adorn the French streets. When I finally sampled the elegant desert, it was unlike anything I had ever tasted before - on the outside was a crystallisation of sugar which I had seen prepared before on televised food shows, but it wasn’t until I dug into the rich custard that I realised I’d never had the pleasure of enjoying something such as this. I enjoy to sample fine food, and after tasting this delicacy, I thought to myself that I’ve never actually had that flavour experience before in my life. In many ways, that’s what happened in the Gasquet-Andy Roddick match.

As a Gasquet fan, I lamented the fact that in his previous encounters with Andy, he’s never really had a game plan that’s seemed to threaten Roddick in the least. Andy’s serve has traditionally overpowered Gasquet, and because of that, the Frenchman is left with a variety of shots that he simply can’t use to their full effectiveness. Being pressed so constantly by the Autobahn-speed projectiles from Roddick’s racquet will do that to you. For the first two and a half sets of today’s match, that’s exactly what happened once again. Gasquet looked very mortal against Roddick, who simply had to bide his time until the one break of serve came. Like clockwork, the first two sets ended 6-4 in this very fashion. In the third set, Gasquet again lost his serve, but out of nowhere, he broke Andy back to get the match back to level. And that’s when everything changed.

The moment that Gasquet finally broke Roddick’s serve, everything in his demeanour changed. He became more vocal on the court with numerous shouts of “allez” and even noticeable grunting when hitting his shots. For the first time on court, I saw that Gasquet really, truly wanted this match. Evidence of this came in many forms, but from an attitude standpoint, it was like I was watching a completely new player. This wasn’t the old Richard Gasquet.

Two other important changes occurred in Gasquet’s game. The first, and most important, was in his return of serve. Roddick still aced Richard throughout the last few sets, but Gasquet got Roddick’s cannon serve back into play, without much trouble, on most occasions. To Richard’s benefit, Andy rarely followed up this return with an aggressive shot of his own. With this important mental boost, the confidence started to flow for Richard in all of his shots. Net play that was sketchy in the first two sets suddenly produced winners. The forehand rarely missed, and never became a liability. And the backhand? It delivered on much more than on cosmetics, but where it hurts the most - on the scoreboard.

The second essential piece that led to Gasquet’s five set comeback (4-6, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 8-6) was speed. Richard seemed much more fleet of foot on the court after the initial break, which gave him more time to execute the many brilliant shots that slowly cracked away at the once impenetrable armour of Roddick’s. I could sense this change simply from watching Gasquet, but most importantly, he realised it too, and never let up believing in his game. These weapons have been a part of Gasquet’s game for many years, but on Friday, he finally showed what they can do on the biggest stage.

Tiebreakers are usually Roddick’s forte, but they turned out to be Gasquet’s favourite arena of battle, as he won both of them in the third and fourth sets (each ending on a cracking backhand winner). Roddick’s backhand is usually his weakest shot, but he actually hit it very well. Gasquet usually can’t put everything together on court - but on Friday everything clicked at the right time. It was an odd day in some ways. But unquestionably, it was a day in tennis to remember, not just for the consistently phenomenal play of the two titans (Federer and Nadal), but because of the further ascension of two others who haven’t yet lifted Grand Slam gold (Djokovic and Gasquet). I’m full, but the meal kept building upon itself with each passing course. As a fan of the sport, I only hope to indulge in such a feast once again.

*** For more tennis coverage, go to www.gasquetandracquet.com ***