North Carolina Prevails, Barely, Over Ohio

North Carolina might be without the finest point guard in the country, Kendall Marshall, but the Tar Heels showed that any team that has two elite big men like Tyler Zeller and John Henson will be difficult to defeat in the month of March. It wasn’t pretty but North Carolina prevailed in overtime, downing Ohio, 73-65. The Tar Heels did this behind 20 points and 23 rebounds from Zeller, and at game’s end, North Carolina coach Roy Williams stated the obvious, when asked about whether Marshall will play in the Elite Eight:

“We’re just happy North Carolina is playing on Sunday.”

The Tar Heels will live to play another day, despite Harrison Barnes’ best efforts to throw the game. Barnes was puzzling all game long, hitting just 3-of-16 from the field, including five turnovers. Handed the ball at the end of regulation, presumably because of his tremendous reputation as a clutch performer as opposed to any good he worked Friday night, he drove to the hoop and turned it over. With a tie game, seconds remaining on the clock, and no shot clock, Barnes did the one thing he wasn’t supposed to do: cough the ball up. Fortunately, for Barnes and the Tar Heels, Bobcats’ sharpshooter D.J. Cooper’s half-court heave rattled around the rim, forcing overtime.

In the extra period, Barnes hit a huge jump shot from the elbow, and earned his way to the free-throw line with a head-fake from the same spot. But the story of the game, and of the extra period, was Reggie Bullock, who set the tone with a three-pointer to kick off overtime. Bullock finished with 17 points, on 6-of-13 shooting and 5-of-10 shooting from behind the arc. His three-pointer toward the end of regulation, which put the Tar Heels up 63-61, was another game-changer, and his 10 rebounds also provided a big boost.

No one would have guessed the drama that would ensue at game’s end from the way this contest started. Entering the first commercial break, it was quite clear that North Carolina was the superior team. The Tar Heels took an 8-4 lead, with all eight of their points coming from inside the paint. With Stilman White leading the show quite capably, including a finely timed pass to Henson as he cut toward the hoop, the Tar Heels appeared to be in good hands. Leading 17-8, White advanced another beautiful bounce pass to Henson as he streaked across the post, after which Henson drew the foul and converted on both free throws. Even on the one play in which things did not go right for White, a play in which he faked a shot, drove aggressively to the basket, only to run into a big man and lose his grip on the ball, he recovered quite gracefully, easily dishing the ball to Zeller for a hook shot. Obviously, much of the concern about White centers on the fact that he is a walk-on, attempting to replace a five-star recruit in Dexter Strickland. But just as pertinent in my mind, he is only 19 years old, a freshman in college, tasked with leading the most hyped team in college basketball. Talk about a task of epic proportions.But he responded with six assists and no turnovers, and more importantly, showed incredible restraint, attempting just four shots all game long. He passed up several open shots, and showed the type of restraint that we would all love for Barnes to possess.

Despite his injured wrist, Henson started the game with two emphatic dunks, the former of which caused a visible grimace to flicker across Henson’s face. Meanwhile, Zeller was effective, blocking two shots and causing enough fear to disrupt Ohio’s entire post game. When Ivo Baltic had a chance down low, just feet away from the basket, he seemed to bail out as soon as he saw Zeller guarding him, feebly attempting a weak hook shot that never came close to falling. Then the jump shots started to fall for North Carolina. Three-pointers by Harrison Barnes, as if people forgot that North Carolina has one of the top NBA prospects in the country, and Reggie Bullock fell right through the cylinder, and Bullock also hit a fine jump shot from well behind the free-throw line.

Meanwhile, Ohio was weak on the offensive end. The Bobcats entered the intermission shooting a measly 23 percent from the field, including a miserable 1-of-13 clip from the four forwards on their roster. Their interior struggles were best symbolized by that early errant play in which the Bobcats couldn’t convert feet from the basket under heavy pressure from Zeller. Indeed, they abdicated the post, an unhappy but necessary concession that was a clear result of the Tar Heels’ size. So, they were forced to rely on a series of jump shots, which mainly found the front rim, not the bottom of the net, and on a series of drives to the post, which ended weakly. These wisps of drives were capped not with authority, but with careful shots, fade-away shots, that were well shielded from the possibility of a block, but often failed to draw even the slightest touch of the rim.

But the Bobcats fought their way back, literally fought their way back, with aggressive turnover-forcing defense. Ohio swatted away at the ball, knocking it loose several times. It got in the way of North Carolina’s passing lanes and forced some turnovers, even resulting in a rare fast-break lay-up for the Bobcats. All in all, the Tar Heels turned it over 13 times in the first half, an unacceptable number as coach Roy Williams pointed out during his halftime interview. In contrast, the Bobcats turned it over just six times in the first half.

Three pointers, of course, are the one way to defeat the Tar Heels’ tough interior defense. The Bobcats drained four in the first half, three of them coming from the fingertips of Nick Kellogg. Not only did a perimeter-based attack help avoid the twin towers of Henson and Zeller, but it also gave Ohio a chance on the boards. Whereas missed two-pointers tend to fall within the grasp of the tree-like limbs of Henson and Zeller, the long rebounds off missed three-pointers tended to fall in Ohio’s favor. Despite the Bobcats’ distinct disadvantage down low, they were able to grab four offensive rebounds in the first half, just one less than the Tar Heels were able to grab. While Ohio made only 4 of its 15 three-point attempts in the first half, when you consider that it snared approximately three of those missed three-pointers, it’s actually a fairly efficient form of offense.

The question left hanging after the first half, and after Friday’s game, was whether Ohio could have pulled off the upset with a in-tune Cooper. Cooper finished with a miserable 3-of-20 clip from the field, including just 1-of-10 from behind the arc. His uncanny swagger, attempting shots from 35 feet out toward game’s end and spotting up from a myriad of unlikely locales all game long, is obviously what makes Cooper so good, but it’s also what lost the game for Ohio on Friday night. His miserable shooting performance compromised an awful lot of possessions for the Bobcats.

At halftime, you got an interesting sense of two different outlooks on a game that teetered toward being a North Carolina blowout before settling into a fairly close game. Williams was understandably irritated about his team’s 13 turnovers, and could only talk about how his team needed to play better, a message he reiterated after the game. Meanwhile, John Groce seemed thrilled with his team at the intermission, and implored his team to fight on, although after the game, he admitted how much a loss like this stung. But it’s a story of two different teams with two different sets of expectations. For North Carolina, given its talent, a small lead over Ohio at halftime was not acceptable. The Tar Heels’ sloppy play was not acceptable. Neither was Barnes’ lackadasical style, and so Williams needed to fire his team up, which I’m sure he did his best to do. Meanwhile, Ohio gave all the fight it could in the first half, and managed to dig its way out of a deep hole. It kept hope alive, a hope that Groce wanted to prevail during his halftime speech. Two different perspectives, both fitting for the situation. Two of the game’s best coaches were right on message.

In the second half, Ohio drew North Carolina’s lead down to four, on an opening three-pointer by Walter Offutt. The Bobcats had a chance to draw the Tar Heels’ lead down further on a beautiful entry pass to Jon Smith, who was wide open behind the North Carolina defense. But Smith was somehow unable to put the ball in, either by lay-up or dunk, rolling the ball off the front rim. His miss, on an indescribably easy shot, might have been the turning point of the game, as North Carolina came back and scored on a short Zeller hook shot. Then, Henson finished a fast-break with a pretty finger roll. That was followed by another pretty fast break, as White was blocked on his initial drive, but Zeller’s diligence and hard work paid off as he picked up the deflection and laid the ball back in. That brought North Carolina’s lead back to 10 points.

But, as the process of evolution dictates, Ohio only came back with greater fervor and skill. The Bobcats hit their first four three-pointers of the half to draw within a point of the Tar Heels. Even with D.J. Cooper still unable to hit from behind the arc, or anywhere, Ohio streaked, led by the play of Offutt. His 26 points, on 10-of-18 shooting, including 6-of-10 from behind the arc, paid enormous dividends for Ohio, and the fact that he fouled out in the closing minutes of overtime may have been the biggest break to fall North Carolina’s way late. It was at that moment that I knew Ohio was not going to rally back one last time.

But transitioning back to the early moments of the second half, the Bobcats showed marked improvement from the first half, doing a far better job of earning their three-point opportunities. Instead of forcing up prayers from downtown, they threatened inside, displaying a menace in the post, before dishing it out to the perimeter. This process resulted in multiple wide-open three-pointers. First, there was an excellent drive toward the basket, in which the Bobcats player worked his way under the hoop, drawing both Henson and Zeller on defense, before kicking it back out to Offutt for an open three-pointer. Then, Ivo Baltic demonstrated why the Tar Heels needed to keep their eyes open down low, finishing with a strong lay-up down low. Ohio continued the fun with a three-pointer from Offutt, off another Baltic assist. The Bobcats’ ability to at least penetrate the post in the second half was a key part of their rally.

North Carolina threatened to pull away, first with a made three-pointer from Bullock, and then with an authoritative dunk from James Michael McAdoo. But just when Ohio fell back into a funk, the Bobcats got the break they had long been looking for. Cooper, at long last, made a three-pointer, and then a sloppy turnover by North Carolina, led to another Ohio possession. The Bobcats were able to capitalize with another open three-pointer, created by a nice baseline drive by Offutt that freed up Kellogg from behind the three-point line. His ensuing shot gave Ohio a 47-46 lead.

But the Tar Heels can shoot too. Bullock drained a three-pointer from the top of the key, and then Henson hit a turnaround. Not to be deterred, the Bobcats got another beautiful play from Cooper, who everyone assumes is going to shoot the ball on every opportunity. Instead, he whipped a pass 30 feet to Reggie Keely, who finished with Ohio’s most authoritative dunk of the evening. That drew the Bobcats within 53-52. And then on a fast-break opportunity created by the Tar Heels’ inability to finish, Cooper took it to the one player on North Carolina that isn’t a blocking threat, White, with no fear, finishing with a lay-up and a chance at the charity stripe.

The funny thing is that while Ohio was most well known for its three-pointers Friday night, North Carolina possesses some of the top three-point shooters in the nation, the kind of guys who won the McDonald’s three-point shooting competition in high school, and the kind of guys who can hit from deep whenever the mood strikes them. Those three-pointers kept the Tar Heels alive, as Barnes and Bullock gave North Carolina the lead back. But then Offutt came back with another incredible drive to the hoop, a fine play in which he switched hands, laid it in, and drew the foul. But with the score tied at 63, and the chance to put the pressure on the Tar Heels with a make, Offutt succumbed to the pressure himself, clanking his attempt from the charity stripe.

As a result of that critical missed free throw by Ohio, North Carolina had the ball at the end of regulation with no pressure. The shot clock was off. The Tar Heels had a chance to win the game. And assuming no sloppy mistakes, a big assumption given North Carolina’s walk-on freshman point guard, the Tar Heels would, at the very least, have five minutes in overtime to try to win the game if their final possession was unsuccessful. But the problem wasn’t their questionable point guard, it was Harrison Barnes. Ice-cold all night long, Barnes tried forcing a score and ended up giving the ball away, providing Cooper with one miraculous chance to win the game. He nearly did, firing a little too long and a little too far to the right, coming inches away from a game-winner. Instead, it was a Butler-like near-miss.

And then came overtime. Ohio, which relied on three-point shooting all night long, scoring 36 of its 65 points from behind the arc, scored just two points in the extra period. North Carolina did just enough to win, and as Williams said at game’s end, just winning is more than enough for this particular evening. They’ll have plenty of time to work out the kinks, as they await the winner of the Kansas/North Carolina State game in the Elite Eight.

Federer Back On Top, Purdue Comes Oh So Close

Watching North Carolina take on Creighton made for an interesting sight. Obviously, the big news was that the Tar Heels lost another key cog in their championship machine. It’s not clear how long Kendall Marshall will be out for, but I think if he’s out, that ends all of their hopes. There is no better facilitator of an attack than Marshall, who entered the year as one of the best passers in the country, and then improved his shot greatly this season to become a true all-around weapon. With his wrist now fractured, and John Henson’s wrist in spotty shape as well, bad luck has befallen North Carolina at exactly the wrong time. This team is talented enough to overcome any loss, including Henson’s, but losing Marshall might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Bet Tar Heels fans are wishing they didn’t treat Larry Drew II so badly now. They could really use him at this moment.

Anyway, back to the game. As ridiculous as Creighton junior center Gregory Echenique looks with his pink shoes and sporty glasses, I like his aggression, even if he did get away with a Shaquille O’Neal-like elbow on Tyler Zeller. He moves pretty fast for his size, beating nearly everyone up the court on one Creighton fast break, and has a nice collection of hook shots at his disposal. He also showcased a few nice fakes and some lateral quickness and had an absolutely vicious dunk on a North Carolina defender. Between him and Doug McDermott, who can clean up down low as well as anyone, the Bluejays are impressive down low.

Tar Heels forward John Henson, of course, was wild early, drawing a rather stupid technical foul when he got up in a Creighton player’s face after what appeared to be incidental contact. He then let the off-the-court antics get in his way on-the-court, as he tried to avenge his anger on one quick play, overpowering a layup well beyond the square, for an embarrassing miss. He quickly regained control, however, hitting a nice lay-up, followed by a jump shot and then blocking what would have been an easy lay-up on the defensive end. Meanwhile, Kendall Marshall was his usual stellar self, leading the fast break with his long, quick passes, while also spotting up and hitting everything in sight. He scored 13 points in the game’s first 13 minutes, including a three-pointer and an even prettier play, in which he trailed his pass, and ended up with a finger roll. Marshall continues to prove himself as a rare talent.

As for Henson, who left the game temporarily with an injury toward the end of the first half, he played long enough to place the game in the Tar Heels’ hands, and that was enough for Sunday. As if to reassure anxious North Carolina fans, James McAdoo scored on an easy cut to the basket on the very next play, as if to remind Tar Heels’ fans that they still had an All-American under the hoop. Two if you count Zeller. That’s the luxury of rooting for a basketball factory like North Carolina, of course, where if one star gets injured, you churn out another. Moments later, McAdoo reaffirmed his presence on the court, blocking McDermott as he tried to swing back and forth and maneuver his way toward an open shot. Creighton had cut its deficit from 15 to eight at that point, so McAdoo’s block was crucial. Then, Marshall missed a free throw, and McAdoo tipped the rebound back to a teammate. It was a solid end to the half for McAdoo if not for the Tar Heels, who entered the intermission with a tenuous eight-point lead. Coach Roy Williams, clearly unhappy with the 7-0 Bluejays run to end the half, told the sideline reporter that his team had to stop playing “silly basketball” and when the sideline reporter tried to eek out some praise for Marshall, the veteran coach simply mentioned that it would be nice if Marshall would stop turning the ball over, please. It was one of the more entertaining sideline interviews you will ever see, and gave viewers some idea of how uncomfortable that locker room might be. In retrospect, Williams would probably take Marshall and his turnovers, over walk-on point guard Stilman White. Meanwhile, if Marshall truly is out, Tyler Zeller will have to step it up in the post, and interior weapons James McAdoo and Desmond Hubert might have to help lead a grittier Tar Heels attack, as they transition from Showtime to old-fashioned Motor City basketball. Of course, anytime you have a weapon like Harrison Barnes, who wowed me with consecutive step-back three-pointers from well behind the arc, you have a chance. He’s the ultimate athlete, if not yet the ultimate basketball player. With Marshall out, the open looks for P.J. Hairston and Reggie Bullock might be no longer. Instead, of Marshall creating shots for them, guys like Barnes will have to create their own shots in the half-court offense, because I don’t think Stilman White is going to beat the defense up the court, with his legs or his passes.

Also, one more note, the whole stadium setup of the NCAA Tournament is mind-boggling and patently unfair. I know it’s inevitable that some regional arenas will fall somewhere close to the homes of the 68 teams participating in March Madness, but to have Duke and North Carolina’s games take place in Greensboro, North Carolina is absurd. Why not put Duke and North Carolina in the West bracket to avoid such occurrences? Because otherwise it’s simply unfair to teams like Lehigh and Creighton, to put them in a stadium with 14,000 Tar Heels fans or 10,000 Blue Devils fans. That just doesn’t seem right. Especially when Creighton, instead of playing in the Omaha region, was forced to play in Greensboro. That’s pretty messed up.

Meanwhile, in one of the major stories of this year’s NCAA Tournament, Purdue nearly capped off a dream weekend for the Big Ten. If the Boilermakers had beaten the Jayhawks, they would have become the fifth conference team to make it into the Sweet Sixteen. Ultimately, they fell short. But while Purdue may have lost, Robbie Hummel will never be forgotten. This is one of those games that will be aired over and over again on ESPN Classic, as it was a nail-biter the entire way, from the early moments when you wondered how much longer Kansas would miss easy shots for and wondered how many more three-pointers Purdue could hit, to the late moments when the Boilermakers’ lead was continually whittled down, but never seemed to fade away. The end was magical, as multiple Purdue shots came a smidgen away from falling, including what would have been a game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer. Down three, the Boilermakers got the perfect inbound pass, a beautiful half-court heave to Ryne Smith, who nearly banked it home, but his half-court shot ultimately glanced off of the front rim. And so it ended, one of the most entertaining games of this March Madness, and one of the great stories of this college basketball season, the improbable rebirth of Robbie Hummel.

Purdue seized an early ten-point lead behind incredible three-point shooting, particularly from Robbie Hummel. The senior was confidently taking shots from everywhere, from well behind the arc, and with defenders on him. He hit several tough shots from the baseline, and each time, his shot looked the same, rolling off the bottom of the bucket. He was in the zone. He didn’t hesitate. He simply shot. Purdue, as a whole, took that philosophy, rolling off screens, and stopping in motion to take three-pointers. On the other hand, you had to believe that Kansas would come back once it stopped trying to shoot the ball so much, and started exploiting its natural advantage in the paint. Why the Jayhawks came out shooting three-pointers, I’ll never know. But still they were missing some easy shots, and you had to figure that they wouldn’t shoot at a 2-of-16 rate for the duration of the contest. Momentum first started to swing in my opinion when D.J. Byrd tried to save a loose ball out-of-bounds, only to fling it right into Kansas’ hands, leading to a fast break and an intentional foul call, which was bogus in my opinion, since he was going for the block. Regardless, it got the Jayhawks’ fan base incensed, and then when Conner Teahan made a three-pointer with minutes to go in the first half to draw Kansas within six, it was clear that it was game on. Same when Tyshawn Taylor drained a three-pointer to draw Kansas within four. From there on out, it was a physical contest, and while the Jayhawks were certainly dominant on the boards, you have to give the Boilermakers credit for their impressive physicality. That physicality rewarded them in the post, where they held Thomas Robinson in check for the majority of the evening.

But at the end, as Purdue took a six-point lead into the intermission, it was all about Hummel, particularly on one possession in which all of Purdue’s cuts were blocked off. With five seconds left, Hummel was behind the arc, and was dribbling away from the basket, a hopeless wanderer it seemed, until he suddenly turned around, and chucked up a quick shot. Again, it fell right in. Finishing the half with 22 points, Hummel literally missed just one free-throw attempt and one three-point attempt in the first half. He stepped out-of-bounds on one drive to the basket, but other than that, he was picture-perfect: aggressive on the boards, and sterling on the shot. It was a long time in coming for Hummel, who has endured so much, and is now enjoying the moment. As someone who just suffered a sprained ankle himself, I admire Hummel’s boldness and reckless abandon on the court, flopping about, even after he underwent two ACL surgeries on the same knee.

In the second half, you could see the difference from the opening possession. It’s not as if Hummel was open in the first half, most of his three-pointers came with a defender marking him, but in the second half, Kansas stepped it up a notch, harassing Hummel as he tried to post up, and even cutting Hummel off as he attempted to get rid of the ball, nearly forcing a turnover. But Purdue’s other scorers stepped up in Hummel’s wake, at least at first. More important, the Boilermakers started adding offensive rebounds to their arsenal, taking advantage of the Jayhawks’ zone defense, to find their way to the glass. They had five more shots than the Jayhawks did midway through the second half, a reversal of what happened in the first half, but the shots began to abandon Purdue. Timely shots maintained its lead for a while, but with Lewis Jackson unable to finish his drives to the hoop, and the threes suddenly not falling, the game began to tighten up. Kansas had a big chance, down 47-44, when it got several open shot opportunities, boosted by multiple offensive rebounds, but it couldn’t take advantage, and on the other end, D.J. Byrd again proved that he could do more than hit threes, grabbing the offensive rebound, and drawing a foul to get to the charity stripe. His ensuing free-throws brought the Boilermakers’ lead to five.

But Purdue’s lack of elite scorers killed it at game’s end. While Kansas had Thomas Robinson there to block Lewis Jackson’s final failed swoop to the hoop, Purdue only had Hummel, which was good enough for the majority of the game but not for its entirety. While the Jayhawks had Elijah Johnson heaving it half-court to Tyshawn Taylor for an alley-oop with a little over a minute remaining, the Boilermakers had no such flare. Give credit to Johnson. That was an incredibly risky play, with his team trailing by three, and with an advantage on the fast-break, to go for the alley-oop. If it fails, Purdue probably wins the game, and Johnson finds himself in Bill Self’s doghouse. But instead, the play worked to perfection. Meanwhile, Purdue got a couple of last big plays from Robbie Hummel. He had a beautiful score off of an inbound pass, in which he caught the ball in mid-air, hung in the stratosphere as he flowed toward the hoop and let a little floater go that found its way into the hoop. Later on, he made a gorgeous power move to the hoop, kissing the ball high off of the glass for two points. But 22 of Hummel’s 26 points came in the first half, as did 36 of Purdue’s 60 points, and without him, the Boilermakers simply weren’t the same. Lewis Jackson, as quick and spritely as he is, couldn’t finish a drive to save his life, and as lovely as Purdue’s cast of characters are, they couldn’t step up when they needed to the most. And Jackson, at the end, killed them, trying to dribble out possessions like a man working his way around a minefield. It reminded me of the old computer game, Minesweeper, as Jackson dribbled around, trying to avoid contact, until he dribbled right into a Jayhawks’ defender. His turnover with a minute or so remaining was an absolute cardinal sin, and a deadly bad break to befall Purdue.

Ladies and gentlemen, in spite of tonight’s loss, watch out for the Boilermakers. That’s all I have to say. Not necessarily this year. I don’t think this Purdue team ever had what it took to win a national championship. Not necessarily next year, because Hummel’s loss will be hard to cope with. But in the next couple of years, with a Top 15 recruiting class coming in, and one of the best coaches in the nation at its helm, watch out for Purdue. Seriously, what Matt Painter has done with a bunch of feisty role players and a couple of shooters is astounding. The Boilermakers possess such strong and fundamental defense. This is a team that you can say with certainty is a well-coached squad. Give Painter credit. Purdue has its man.

On the upset side of things, nothing is more depressing than a dandy of an underdog falling flat in the ensuing round. After all the energy, hype and hoopla generated from a thrilling upset, it’s as much of a downer as you can get when said underdog falls by 20 points in the next round. It’s as if, after a joyous moment of anarchy, order is restored. Disbelief turns into belief, before falling back into disbelief. That happened to some extent with Norfolk State. People will not notice, they will only remember the stunning upset, but after beating Missouri, the Spartans were demolished by the Gators. So, they will be thought of forever on as one-hit wonders, a group of men who came together on one special night, before the reality of their inferiority reasserted itself against Florida. Unlike VCU which will long be remembered for one magical season, Norfolk State will be remembered for one magical night. Lehigh, on the other hand, fought valiantly against Xavier, disappointing nobody. Not that there were many people to disappoint. It was sad to see the number of empty seats at the end of the Xavier-Lehigh game. Clearly, a mass exodus of fans followed the conclusion of the North Carolina game, which is a shame, considering how much good basketball remained. Wouldn’t Tar Heels fans want to stick around to see the Mountain Hawks team that downed the mighty Blue Devils?

Meanwhile, on the tennis court, John Isner didn’t seem to be on the attack in the championship match of the BNP Paribas Open as he was in his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic. Roger Federer was able to return his serves to the back-end of the court, often pressing Isner up against the back line. Meanwhile, Federer displayed a dominant serve of his own, compiling three straight aces at one point, and indeed, he never appeared challenged on his own serve. His drop shot was devastating, he hit the lines with no fear and he took advantage of Isner’s lanky build. Far too often, Isner simply gave up on the ball, freezing in the middle of the court, unsure of where to go, absolutely sure of the point’s fate.

The game really turned on the first tiebreaker, as emotion and momentum swayed back and forth throughout. Federer angrily swung his racket, and smacked an extra ball into the net, after falling behind 3-2. He was far happier after breaking consecutive serves from Isner, but Federer was broken himself, and later on in the tiebreak, Isner fought back with a serve so powerful that Federer was left waving his racket like a wimpy wand. Ultimately, in a tiebreaker that remained close until the very end, Federer was able to hold his own, thus securing an impressive and hard-fought victory.