Cuevas the Magician at it Again; oh boy

[Meles]

First became aware of this guy's antics on South American clay a few years ago when he won Rio and Sao Paulo back to back courtesy of late set medical time outs at the changeover to ice the opponent's game and serve. Many repeats after this, but last night in Buenos Aires took the cake.

You new Cuevas wanted to pull something to disrupt Schwartzman, but he himself was serving after the changeovers so the accidental bloodying of a hand or mto would not work. Well, the Magician found a way when Schwartzman's defensive lob landed on the line on his own service game at 5 all. Cuevas half played it looking at the line (and his return lob went in) and got Schwartzman to not play the ball. The Magician's problem was the umpire also thought he was stopping play and did a challenge which of course Cuevas lost. Not to be deterred the Magician then stated he was not challenging and sat down and waited for the tournament director at deuce on his own serve (just before Schwartzman's serve). They of course didn't fall for it and he came back on and played, but low and behold the iced Schwartzman pulled a leg muscle on the next point and Cuevas held. Schwartzman was forced to go for winners on every shot after that point (and maybe Cuevas was a bit remorseful for injuring a player with his antics) and Cuevas came close, but justice prevailed for a short while and Diego won the match foiling the Magician's greatest master stroke.

Unknown if SchwartyD will play today or in Rio, but he can than his bad luck to Cuevas's unchecked antics.

 

[jm1980]

First became aware of this guy's antics on South American clay a few years ago when he won Rio and Sao Paulo back to back courtesy of late set medical time outs at the changeover to ice the opponent's game and serve. Many repeats after this, but last night in Buenos Aires took the cake.

You new Cuevas wanted to pull something to disrupt Schwartzman, but he himself was serving after the changeovers so the accidental bloodying of a hand or mto would not work. Well, the Magician found a way when Schwartzman's defensive lob landed on the line on his own service game at 5 all. Cuevas half played it looking at the line (and his return lob went in) and got Schwartzman to not play the ball. The Magician's problem was the umpire also thought he was stopping play and did a challenge which of course Cuevas lost. Not to be deterred the Magician then stated he was not challenging and sat down and waited for the tournament director at deuce on his own serve (just before Schwartzman's serve). They of course didn't fall for it and he came back on and played, but low and behold the iced Schwartzman pulled a leg muscle on the next point and Cuevas held. Schwartzman was forced to go for winners on every shot after that point (and maybe Cuevas was a bit remorseful for injuring a player with his antics) and Cuevas came close, but justice prevailed for a short while and Diego won the match foiling the Magician's greatest master stroke.

Unknown if SchwartyD will play today or in Rio, but he can than his bad luck to Cuevas's unchecked antics.

Cuevas kind of looked like he gave up in that last game, so maybe he took pity on Schwartzman

 

[Meles]

Cuevas kind of looked like he gave up in that last game, so maybe he took pity on Schwartzman

It was amazing sitting there on phone with friend who is Diego fan doing blow by blow. I was literally telling him Cuevas would pull something and he sure did. Wanted Schwartzman out to give Ruud more of a chance of winning and just a double bonus as both players went out with Diego retiring today. Diego out of Rio too.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Read that this match was 3 hours, 42 minutes? Is that the 3rd longest best of 3 match? After Novak Rafa Madrid and Nadal Moya Chennai?

@vive le beau jeu !

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

Read that this match was 3 hours, 42 minutes? Is that the 3rd longest best of 3 match? After Novak Rafa Madrid and Nadal Moya Chennai?

@vive le beau jeu !

i was impressed by the length of schwartzmann vs cuevas, indeed
there's also federer vs del potro at the 2012 olympics: 36 76 1917 in 4h26min !

 

[BeatlesFan]

there's also federer vs del potro at the 2012 olympics: 36 76 1917 in 4h26min !

Which very likely cost Fed the OGM in Singles.

 

[Gerco]

Glad someone pointed this out!!! I was at the match and it was really gutting to see Diego getting injured after such a great battle. Cuevas was the better player during the match but Diego kept fighting and turned things around. Until the moment discribed by OP, Cuevas made Schwartzman wait on MP and the nerves or cooldown led to him getting injured. OP is on point, Cuevas always comes up with some strange thing when his matches are close and he is about to lose, look at his final in Rio against Pella.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

Read that this match was 3 hours, 42 minutes? Is that the 3rd longest best of 3 match? After Novak Rafa Madrid and Nadal Moya Chennai?

@vive le beau jeu !

i found this:

Longest matches (best of 3): XXI century | The History of Men's Tennis (Open Era)

voodemar.com

2000
3 hrs. 10 min. Lleyton Hewitt d. Gaston Gaudio 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 (Miami)
3 hrs. 7 min. Magnus Norman d. Sjeng Schalken 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 (Stockholm)
3 hrs. 0 min. Juan Carlos Ferrero d. Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 (Paris)
2001
3 hrs. 30 min. Nicolas Massu d. Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 (Indian Wells)
3 hrs. 17 min. Nicolas Massu d. Marcelo Charpentier 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (Barcelona)
3 hrs. 13 min. David Sanchez d. Mariano Zabaleta 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 (Sopot)
2002
3 hrs. 26 min. Gustavo Kuerten d. Guillermo Coria 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 (Costa Do Saupe)
3 hrs. 19 min. Albert Costa d. Alex Corretja 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 (Barcelona)
3 hrs. 10 min. Nicolas Lapentti d. Didac Perez 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 (Barcelona)
2003
3 hrs. 36 min. Lleyton Hewitt d. Arnaud Clement 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 (Hamburg)
3 hrs. 33 min. Nicolas Massu d. Albert Costa 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 (Kitzbuhel)
3 hrs. 23 min. Arnaud Clement d. Karol Kucera 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 (Halle)
2004
3 hrs. 23 min. Nicolas Massu d. Massimo Dell’Acqua 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 (Rome)
3 hrs. 21 min. Guillermo Canas d. Marc Lopez 4-6, 7-6, 7-5 (Acapulco)
3 hrs. 10 min. Jerome Haehnel d. Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 (Metz)
2005
3 hrs. 25 min. Nicolas Massu d. Nicolas Lapentti 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 (Kitzbuhel)
3 hrs. 25 min. Felix Mantilla d. Marc Lopez 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 (Buenos Aires)
3 hrs. 20 min. Andreas Seppi d. Stefan Koubek 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 (Gstaad)
2006
3 hrs. 26 min. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez d. Carlos Berlocq 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 (Estoril)
3 hrs. 18 min. Jan Hernych d. Julien Benneteau 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 (Monte Carlo)
3 hrs. 18 min. Igor Andreev d. Andreas Seppi 7-6, 1-6, 6-4 (Dubai)
2007
3 hrs. 39 min. Juan Ignacio Chela d. Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 (Acapulco)
3 hrs. 38 min. Rafael Nadal d. Nikolay Davydenko 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 (Rome)
3 hrs. 21 min. Flavio Saretta d. Jiri Vanek 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 (Buenos Aires)
2008
3 hrs. 54 min. Rafael Nadal d. Carlos Moya 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 (Chennai)
3 hrs. 23 min. Gilles Simon d. Rafael Nadal 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (Madrid)
3 hrs. 21 min. Nicolas Kiefer d. Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 (Beijing – Olympics)
2009
4 hrs. 3 min. Rafael Nadal d. Novak Djokovic 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 (Madrid)
3 hrs. 29 min. Nicolas Lapentti d. Marat Safin 7-6, 2-6, 7-6 (Monte Carlo)
3 hrs. 21 min. Nicolas Massu d. Eduardo Schwank 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 (Indian Wells)
2010
3 hrs. 25 min. Stanislas Wawrinka d. Viktor Troicki 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 (Belgrade)
3 hrs. 25 min. Nicolas Massu d. Ryan Sweeting 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 (Houston)
3 hrs. 22 min. Novak Djokovic d. Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 (Dubai)
2011
3 hrs. 41 min. Carlos Berlocq d. Blaz Kavcic 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 (Umag)
3 hrs. 38 min. Viktor Troicki d. Alex Bogomolov Jr. 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 (Moscow)
3 hrs. 38 min. Rafael Nadal d. Fernando Verdasco 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 (Cincinnati)
2012
3 hrs. 48 min. Martin Klizan d. Mikhail Youzhny 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 (St. Petersburg)
3 hrs. 22 min. Tommy Haas d. David Nalbandian 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 (Cincinnati)
3 hrs. 21 min. Andreas Seppi d. Stanislas Wawrinka 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 (Rome)
2013
3 hrs. 26 min. Martin Alund d. Markus Eriksson 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 (Bastad)
3 hrs. 17 min. Federico Delbonis d. Fernando Verdasco 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 (Hamburg)
3 hrs. 6 min. Grigor Dimitrov d. Novak Djokovic 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 (Madrid)
2014
3 hrs 20 min. Andy Murray d. Tommy Robredo 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 (Valencia)
3 hrs 18 min. Rafael Nadal d. Gilles Simon 7-6, 6-7, 6-2 (Rome)
3 hrs 13 min. Roberto Carballes d. Joao Sousa 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 (Casablanca)
2015
3 hrs 20 min. Marcel Granollers d. Gael Monfils 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 (Madrid)
3 hrs 12 min. Fabio Fognini d. Federico Delbonis 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 (Rio de Janeiro)
3 hrs 10 min. Gilles Simon d. Marcel Granollers 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 (Nottingham)
2016
3 hrs 38 min. Andy Murray d. Milos Raonic 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 (London)
3 hrs 28 min. Pablo Cuevas d. Rafael Nadal 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 (Rio de Janeiro)
3 hrs 20 min. Pablo Cuevas d. Daniel Gimeno 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 (Monte Carlo)
2017
3 hrs 12 min. Albert Ramos d. Guido Pella 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 (Buenos Aires)
3 hrs 10 min. Roger Federer d. Nick Kyrgios 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 (Miami)
3 hrs 4 min. Leonardo Mayer d. Albert Ramos 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 (Hamburg)
2018
3 hrs 39 min. Thiago Monteiro d. Alessandro Giannessi 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 (Quito)
3 hrs 19 min. Mikhail Kukushkin – Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 (Vienna)
3 hrs 12 min. Peter Polansky d. Marius Copil 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 (Indian Wells)
3 hrs 12 min. Laslo Djere d. Paolo Lorenzi 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 (Istanbul)
2019
3 hrs 39 min. Lorenzo Sonego d. Federico Delbonis 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 (Kitzbuhel)
3 hrs 28 min. Borna Coric d. Jaume Munar 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 (Monte Carlo)
3 hrs 24 min. Stan Wawrinka d. Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 (Indian Wells)

The longest 3-setters of the 90’s:
3 hrs. 54 min. Andrei Cherkasov d. Andrea Gaudenzi 6-7, 7-6, 7-5 (Tel Aviv ’93)
3 hrs. 44 min. Horst Skoff d. Andrei Cherkasov 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 (Schenectady ’91)
3 hrs. 42 min. Jordi Arrese d. Francisco Michelotti 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 (Florence ’92)
3 hrs. 39 min. Michael Chang d. Andrei Chesnokov 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 (Rome ’93)
3 hrs. 35 min. Javier Sanchez d. Marcelo Filippini 7-5, 6-7, 6-4 (Florence ’93)
3 hrs. 34 min. Hernan Gumy d. Alex Calatrava 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 (Mallorca ’99)

The longest 4-setters of the Open era (at least 4:30 h):
5 hrs. 14 min. Nicolas Massu d. Stefan Koubek 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (Davis Cup ’09)
5 hrs. 7 min. Dudi Sela d. Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 (Davis Cup ’07)
4 hrs. 53 min. Rafael Nadal d. Paul-Henri Mathieu 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 (Roland Garros ’06)
4 hrs. 47 min. Mats Wilander d. Guillermo Vilas 1-6, 7-6, 6-0, 6-4 (Roland Garros ’82)
4 hrs. 47 min. Ivan Lendl d. Mats Wilander 6-7, 6-0, 7-6, 6-4 (US Open ’87)
4 hrs. 40 min. Heinz Gunthardt d. Guillermo Vilas 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 (Roland Garros ’84)
4 hrs. 38 min. Jay Berger d. Jimmy Connors 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 (Roland Garros ’89)
4 hrs. 30 min. Frantisek Pala d. Brian Gottfried 10-8, 10-8, 9-11, 8-6 (Roland Garros ’72)

 

[Moose Malloy]

@vive le beau jeu ! nice list, thanks.

amazed that Klizan Youzhny 2012 St Petersburg was 3:49! An indoor match with 2 players who don’t seem like grinders. Impressed that Klizan won the final the next day.

@The Green Mile have you seen this match?

 

[Born_to_slice]

Cuevas choked like a boss in this match. Served a couple of times for it but got so visibly stressed and of course crowd didn't help. Really sad. I've noticed Schwarty always has hecklers in the crowd ready to jump in when he's in the pickle, so this thread about Cuevas is kind of strange. So funny that people claim Diego got injured because Cuevas made him wait a little.

 

[helterskelter]

So Nadal/Djokovic at Madrid 2009 is the only three-setter since at least 1989 to break four hours, right?

@Moose Malloy Know of any dead rubber DC matches in the 1980s or before that went four hours despite being three sets?

 

[The Green Mile]

@vive le beau jeu ! nice list, thanks.

amazed that Klizan Youzhny 2012 St Petersburg was 3:49! An indoor match with 2 players who don’t seem like grinders. Impressed that Klizan won the final the next day.

@The Green Mile have you seen this match?

Doubtful, it doesn't ring any bells. At that time I was in the military and missed a lot of tennis during 2012, especially 2nd half of the year. Even missed Fed's Wimbledon win.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

@vive le beau jeu ! nice list, thanks.

you're welcome!
by the way, i don't think they're including the long bo5 3-setters:
for instance, pioline defeated hewitt 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 in 3h40 in the 1999 davis cup final, on clay.
(a great match... pioline played great to beat hewitt, but philippoussis was on another level 2 days later)

 

[Subway Tennis]

Some more interesting recent stuff from Cuevas:

The above video is very tightly edited. It's worth seeing the full replay of his ATP Cup match with Basilashvilli for more context.

Basilashvilli should be applauded for some great sportsmanship, helping to diffuse the tension between Cuevas, the chair umpire and the tournament referee. Cuevas was going to leave the court. The voluntary forfeit from Cuevas would have given Bash the win but he didn't like the shenanigans and stopped it.