In 2006, Jonas Bjorkman reminded everybody of his singles prowess during an incredible grasscourt season.
The Swedish star was a former doubles No.1 and at that point had won an exceptional nine Grand Slam doubles titles – results overshadowing his singles exploits.
Bjorkman hit world No.4 in singles not long after reaching the 1997 US Open semifinals. Nearly a decade later he charged to the semis of Wimbledon, where he confronted three-time defending champion Roger Federer.
He was being guided by Todd Woodbridge, his former doubles partner who’d retired but agreed to coach Bjorkman during that 2006 grass swing.
Bjorkman thrived, advancing to the ATP Nottingham final on grass leading into Wimbledon, then surprising 12th seed Thomas Johansson in the first round at the All England Club.
Wins followed over Lukas Dlouhy, Daniele Bracciali and Max Mirnyi to put him into the quarterfinals, where he upstaged No.14 seed Radek Stepanek in five sets.
LISTEN: Jonas Bjorkman on The Sit-Down
Ranked 59th, 34-year-old Bjorkman was, at the time, the oldest men’s Wimbledon semifinalist since Jimmy Connors in 1987.
Woodbridge interviewed Bjorkman on this week’s episode of The Sit-Down, recalling how Bjorkman’s run at SW19 reminded him of his own trip to the singles semifinals in 1997.
"You and I have both had the same Wimbledon semifinal experience,” said Woodbridge, who beat Michael Chang and Pat Rafter en route to the last four, where Pete Sampras outplayed him 6-2 6-1 7-6(3).
“I got there and had a guy named Sampras, and I was playing the best tennis of my life and felt like I barely touched a ball.
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“And I'm now sitting in the coaches box, watching you play Federer, and all I'm thinking is: 'geez, this looks like the day that I played Pete'.”
Federer was the world No.1 and at the peak of his powers when he played Bjorkman.
He arrived in the semifinals without dropping a set, and beat the Swede 6-2 6-0 6-2 in a Centre Court masterclass.
In the final he bagelled Rafael Nadal in the first set – his 19th consecutive set won at Wimbledon – before going on to triumph in four sets for his fourth straight title at SW19.
He completed 2006 with an outstanding win-loss record of 92-5 and 12 titles won, including three of the four Grand Slam trophies.
"Coming into that match [against Federer], we sat down the night before, we called Peter Lundgren, who's not with us anymore unfortunately, but who was a coach of Roger, trying to get as much feedback we can,” Bjorkman reminisced with Woodbridge.
“And actually put my head into the feeling that I have a great chance going out there tomorrow, even though I'm 34 and he's in his prime. I really felt when I walked on the court, that we had a good game plan, everything maybe ready to hopefully create a big upset.
“And then playing a really good first set and I'm just feeling that, I have no chance (laughter). I'm playing probably the best set of the tournament, and then I'm losing the second set even faster.”
Bjorkman recalled that Woodbridge – with his keen brain for tennis history – had mentioned the fastest Wimbledon men’s semifinal had concluded in 90 minutes.
"I just didn't want to be in the record books for that,” Bjorkman said.
“Normally I'm pretty good when the umpire says 'time', or pretty good in between points, but I think the last set and a half, I've never been that slow... I didn't get into the record books, which was nice.
"[But] I had the best seat in the house, to see him play.”
Bjorkman returned to the world’s top 30 with that “amazing” semifinal result.
He believed it was a memorable grasscourt season made possible by letting go of expectations.
“[It was] a tournament that I really wanted to do so well, since I grew up watching Wimbledon, it was always something special – but maybe my expectations were too high, that I couldn't really play the tennis that I wanted,” he admitted.
“And then that year I had no expectation, and somehow just everything clicked and worked and I played really good tennis.”