PHOTOS: The best shots from the Del Potro-Thiem classic at the US Open

By Steve Tignor (captions) and Anita Aguilar (photos)

Juan Martin del Potro-Dominic Thiem was a rematch of a non-match. Last year, in the same round, US Open fans had anticipated a blockbuster between them, but Thiem was forced to retire with an injury.

This time it looked as if Del Potro, who had the flu, would have to call it quits early. “I was thinking to retire in the middle of the second set because I couldn’t breathe,” said Del Potro, who was trudging even more slowly than normal in the early going.

The audience that had filled the Grandstand to capacity was left with little to cheer as Thiem surrendered just three games in the first two sets. But nobody left, in part because there was nowhere to go. This was the only singles match being played on the grounds.​

“Then I saw the crowd waiting for more tennis,” Del Potro said, “waiting for my good forehands, good serves. I took all that energy to change in a good way and think about fight and not retire.”​

Thiem took full advantage of Del Potro’s condition early. As the Austrian watched Delpo slump to the sidelines on changeovers, did visions of a quarterfinal with Roger Federer dance in his head?​

As the sun set, and Del Potro and his fans awoke, the atmosphere became more ominous for Thiem.​

“I expected it,” he said of the crowd support for Delpo, “because it’s everywhere like this for him. It was way more for him, but it was not unfair at all."​

As Del Potro began to close the gap, Thiem’s efforts to stem the tide became ever more desperate.

Always an acrobatic athlete, he lunged farther and leaped higher than ever.

He even tried to climb through the air.

But he only felt more lonely out there.

By the 2-hour-and-45-minute mark, Del Potro had leveled the match and brought his fans to their feet. Mardy Fish (seated) seemed to be enjoying the show, too.

Delpo won two fewer points than Thiem (139 to 141) and hit 20 fewer winners, but he found a few shots he might not have known he had.

Del Potro had one more challenge left, so he used it on Thiem’s second serve at match point. “I saw the ball clearly out,” he said, “but the chair umpire say the ball was in. I was confused; I was scared for that ball. But I was lucky. The ball was out.”

“We’re not playing every day in an atmosphere like this,” Thiem said, “I was enjoying it, actually.”

“I think the people love my effort to come back and play tennis,” Delpo said when asked about his popularity. “They know what I’ve been through with all my problems. They like one guy who never gives up, and he’s trying to play tennis.”

“I play one of the epic matches of my career here in the US Open, which is my favorite tournament, in front of a great crowd,” said Del Potro, of his Jordan-esque “Flu Game” triumph. “I got exhausted after the last point of the match. That’s what I did with my hands, looking to the sky.”