John Millman: His road to beating Roger Federer at US Open tennis

HE’S spent 12 years battling through the back-courts of tennis but today, Brisbane’s John Millman landed his biggest scalp - the Fed Express. Here’s how his road to the greatest win of his life unfolded.

ONE of the great upsets in tennis history today became the dividend for John Millman’s 12-year battle through the back-courts of the sport with his US Open ambush of Roger Federer.

Two shoulder surgeries which fully tested the gritty Queenslander’s resolve in continuing his tennis career became an experience which has the passport stamps to an achieved sporting dream with his four-set win over 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer in the US Open’s fourth round.

Millman, 29, started on the lower-level Futures and then Challenger circuits in 2006, winning his first match on the main ATP Tour only in 2013.

John Millman shows his emotions during the men's singles fourth round match against Roger Federer at the US Open. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

The Queenslander likes to tell the story of how during his Futures circuit days in Asia, a pizza delivery man once pulled up at his court and demanded payment from his opponent before the match could continue.

At the biggest capacity stadium in world tennis, the 23,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium, Millman beat the world’s all-time male winner of Grand Slam singles titles.

Millman sees his persistence down the years as nothing more than a desire to see how far his game could take him - today he made it in New York.

HOW THE EPIC MILLMAN V FEDERER MATCH UNFOLDED

PROFILE: WHO IS JOHN MILLMAN

A downcast Roger Federer during the match. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

The Brisbane right-hander earned $US1.4 million in prizemoney up to the end of 2017, hardly putting him in the lap of luxury, through his hard labours and patient rehabilitation efforts.

Millman admits he considered a university degree and a financial services career after his second shoulder operation in 2015.

The self-described Aussie battler has won $US918,743 in prizemoney so far in this year, with a guaranteed US Open cheque of $US475,000 even if he loses his quarter-final on Thursday against Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic.

For shock value, Millman’s win is an upset by an Australian tennis player which mirrors the late Peter Doohan’s win over two-time defending champion Boris Becker in 1987 at Wimbledon, but Federer’s standing in the game makes this result a singular one in Australian tennis history.

The popular Queenslander will crash into the world’s top 40 for the first time, being projected to rise 19 places in the rankings to No.37 if he goes no further at the US Open.

John Millman stumbles during his epic win (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Millman did not qualify for national junior teams and his early tennis travels as a professional were funded by his parents, Ron and Shona.

But he followed the familiar route of most Australian youngsters on tour in sharing accommodation with other players at Futures events which offer sometimes three-figure winner’s cheques, saving money by sleeping at train stations at other times.

Millman had shown to himself that he was capable of matching it with the best, taking Grand Slam winners Andy Murray and Federer and world No.3 Grigor Dimitrov to third sets before losing three times at his home city ATP tournament, the Brisbane International.

Roger Federer fires back (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

After the Dimitrov loss in January this year, which followed a career-best 2017 US Open third-round finish, Millman said he wanted a big win as he knew he had the capabilities to beat the top players.

He quipped that he never again wanted to play a Challenger “tournament in Romania’’.

Admired for his dedication to training and his smiling sportsmanship around the tour, Millman drew a tribute from Lleyton Hewitt’s former coach, Australian Darren Cahill, who marvelled in television match commentary at how he used to run 15km before tennis practice sessions before shin splints forced him to discontinue it.

Originally published as John Millman: His road to beating Roger Federer at US Open tennis