121 Winners

Reuters

That's how many Taylor Dent hit in his spectucular five-set victory over Ivan Navarro on the Grandstand last night. 121 winners our on 190 points won. Nearly 64%. Only 50 unforced errors.

For his part, Navarro, a veteran of the minor-leagues who'd never even won a main draw match at a Slam before being a point away from the third round, struck 70 winners and 22 unforced errors.

Match of the fortnight.

Not just for such alarming statistics, not just for the stories the unheralded players brought to bear in the match, but for the tennis.

This was throwback, baby. Brilliant serving. Not just bombs -- Dent was consistently over 140 mph topping out at 147 mph -- but excellent spot serving and change ups on the biggest points. Transition tennis and net play from both sides of the net that we haven't seen throughout an entire match since the early 80s. Navarro and Dent are big men, huge, in fact, but they moved fluidly around the court and dug up volley after volley from their toenails.

I watched the entire match from first ball to last on the Internet, except when ESPN decided to broadcast the crucial moments.

AP

Of course the crowd was rooting for the American. But the Spaniard (yes, a Spaniard who rushes the net at every opportunity) received his fair share of accolades. Not sure where he's been or why he hasn't had more success. Only his second five-set affair, the first of which he lost earlier this summer 12-10 in the fifth on the lawns of the All England Club. But this man is certainly in shape and definitely no choker. Dent had to beat him because he wasn't giving anything away.

It was thrilling, scintillating stuff and to have it end on a winner -- not a double fault or on some other knucklehead error, was the perfect explanation point to a perfect match.

After the players, realizing how special their battle, hugged at the net, Dent grabbed the microphone from the chair umpire to tell the crowd how much he loved them.

"I promise you, if I lose 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, I'll die fighting for every point," said Dent about playing Andy Murray in the next round. I believe him.

After his on-court interview, he took a victory lap and slapped the palms of all the outstretched hands from all the fans who made the atmosphere electric. Who lifted him over the finish line.

Lots of other stuff happened yesterday. A few more upsets here and there. One gargantuan choke. Some valiant efforts by some underdogs to knock off the favorites. But nothing was more remarkable or memorable than the clinic conducted by two tour veterans on the grandest of stages.

I'm still catching my breath.