Time Ends Up on McEnroe’s Side in Open

It took 4 hours 20 minutes, but John McEnroe still turned back the clock to, oh, 1987, which was the last time he reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.

On a muggy Sunday afternoon, McEnroe got there again. He came from behind to wriggle past Emilio Sanchez, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, then proclaimed it his biggest victory of the year.

McEnroe didn’t have to think long.

“I haven’t had that many big victories this year,” he said.

This one would qualify in any year, especially at the U.S. Open, which McEnroe has won four times, but not since 1984.

After a key service break of Sanchez in the seventh game of the fifth set, McEnroe eventually walked to the line to serve for the match. McEnroe was deep in thought.

“I was all pumped up,” he said. “I was also real nervous.”

At 30-15, Sanchez ran around his backhand to try a forehand service return, but McEnroe had enough power in his serve to catch Sanchez in mid-step unable to do anything with the ball.

Then it was match point. McEnroe’s first serve bounced down the middle and Sanchez swung. The ball glanced off the frame of Sanchez’ racket and went straight up.

When it came down, McEnroe was already raising his arms, turning to acknowledge the standing ovation from the Stadium Court crowd of 21,089.

Sanchez took off his sweaty headband and managed a wry smile.

“He’s a champion,” Sanchez said. “He showed it today on the court.”

McEnroe enters his quarterfinal showdown with David Wheaton, a 7-5, 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4 winner over Kevin Curren, by working his way through the Sanchez family.

In the first round, McEnroe dispensed with Emilio’s brother, Javier, leaving sister Arantxa as the only Sanchez he hasn’t beaten. McEnroe seemed ready for that possibility, too.

“Well, I think it’s easy enough.”

Getting past Emilio was not that simple. Sanchez, who plays tennis like a goalie, collects shots hit in his direction as if there is radar in his racket.

McEnroe won the first set with an uncanny volley display in the tiebreaker, coming back from 4-2 down to win.

One volley is destined for the already lengthy McEnroe highlight film: Hugging the net, he sends a forehand volley scurrying into the corner and Sanchez, on the dead run, can’t get close enough to even lift his racket.

Sanchez evened the match by taking the second set, helped along when McEnroe double-faulted at break point for a 5-3 Sanchez lead.

When Sanchez claimed the third set and McEnroe blew an early break in the fourth, the end seemed in sight.

But after 3 hours 41 minutes, McEnroe had evened the match at two sets apiece, celebrating a service break that won him the set on a stunning backhand volley into the corner.

McEnroe pumped his fists, raised his racket and moved confidently into the fifth set.

“We played an awful long time,” McEnroe said. “On this surface, if you are consistent enough, sooner or later, the person is going to find the pressure.”

Ivan Lendl could have played his match, driven home to Greenwich, Conn., and played nine holes of golf in the same time it took McEnroe to finish. In 2:01, Lendl swept Gilad Bloom, 6-0, 6-3, 6-4, and reached the quarterfinals.

Lendl said he was not trying to set a record for fastest finish of a fourth-round match.

“I don’t worry about those things,” Lendl said. “I know you guys do, but I don’t.”

In his last two matches, Lendl has not lost a set and dropped just 16 games. Against the left-handed Bloom, Lendl served nine aces, slugged forehands dripping with topspin and sliced backhands that hugged the court.

“There is no reason to complain,” Lendl said.

McEnroe felt much the same way. Lendl beat him in straight sets in the 1987 quarterfinals and McEnroe would like nothing more than to play him in the semifinals.

“That would be great to play another big match,” McEnroe said. “It’s just great to be in there. We’ll see what happens the next match.”

Next, Lendl will play No. 12-seeded Pete Sampras of Rancho Palos Verdes, who defeated sixth-seeded Thomas Muster, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-3 in a late match.