By Matthew Lambert For Mailonline
Published: 22:46 BST, 2 June 2019 | Updated: 23:09 BST, 2 June 2019
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Stan Wawrinka outlasted Stefanos Tsitsipas in five hours and nine minutes of single-handed-backhand combat, a pitched battle of brain and brawn and brutal physicality.
A drained Wawrinka will face his old friend and countryman Roger Federer on Wednesday for a place in the French Open semi-finals, after a 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 win in which the temperature hit 32 degrees and the emotions hit fever pitch.
It was the longest match of the tournament and one of the best of the year. There were 62 winners for Stan and 61 for Stefanos - the backhand that shaved the line on the final point was literally all that separated them.
Stan Wawrinka battled hard for five hours and earned victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas
The Greek player missed plenty of chances and was consoled at the end by his opponent
Tsitsipas was devastated after so many missed chances. He converted only five of 27 break points and none of the eight he had in the final set.
'I feel exhausted,' he said. 'Never experienced something like this in my life. I feel very disappointed at the end. It is a long time since I cried after a match, so emotionally wasn't easy to handle. I will try to learn from it as much as I can.
'I was so close, so close. I give him room to do whatever he likes, all those break points. So many break points. So many. I was expecting someone else to play it for me. I didn't play.'
Losing like that, he said, was: 'The worst thing in tennis. It's the worst feeling ever. You don't want to be in my place.'
How much Wawrinka will have left in the tank when it comes to facing Federer remains to be seen.
