DJOKOVIC DENIES FEDERER AND CLAIMS THIRD WIMBLEDON CROWN – GLOBAL CHICK CALLS TIME AT SW19

Written by: Global Chick on 12th July 2015

DJOKOVIC DENIES FEDERER AND CLAIMS THIRD WIMBLEDON CROWN - GLOBAL CHICK CALLS TIME AT SW19

Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses the trophy after winning against Roger Federer of Switzerland during their final match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 12 July 2015. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

Djokovic denies Federer and claims third Wimbledon Crown – Global Chick calls time at SW19

What price the adoration of the Wimbledon crowd? That is perhaps the question that defending champion Novak Djokovic is probably asking himself after defeating Roger Federer for the second time in a row, on the hallowed lawns of SW19.

From the Federer camp, the question was always going to be whether he could keep up that sustained display of superlative serving of Friday when he mullered Andy Murray. The answer was an emphatic yes – certainly at the start of the set with a couple of handy serves to love – but would he be able to keep that up and go tow-to-to with the king of the rallies?

First blood certainly went to Federer taking full advantage of a sloppy game from Djokovic, but with the crowd quite clearly verging on Swiss, Djokovic wasted no time in breaking right back.

Things were warming up nicely, with pick-up volleys and passing shots – and this was just the first set! It was coming down to who would blink first. The script maybe did not go to plan as Djokovic started to step things up a notch, and although it has to be said it felt like he was being a lot more passive than Federer, when it counted in the tie-break he ran away with it with precision and patience.

It was a same sense of precision and placement that had him painting the lines far better than any decorator I have ever had in my home, and for most of the set. Federer was beginning to look decidedly nervous, but the tie-break saw Federer pick up the sharpness and push at Djokovic’s resolve. The Serbian was beginning to slip, slide and wobble like a jelly trifle being served at The Wingfield restaurant, and it was enough to tip the balance to win a thriller of a tie-break 7-6(10).

It was a very nettled Djokovic who came out at the start of third set, and the showing of his irritation probably was not likely to endear him much to the pro-Federer contents of Centre Court. But it was enough to fuel him towards an early break, as that level of intensity that Federer attacked with towards the latter part of the second set ebbed away a touch.

The briefest flurry of rain sent the ground-crew scurrying to get the covers on, only to whisk them off again after scant minutes, with Djokovic still looking decidedly edgy (but then when you have a capacity crowd cheering on your every slip, I am sure I would be pretty grumpy too).

These were dangerous times for the Serbian – he was not looking at all like the more convincing player on the resumption as Federer seemed to have dialed back into the kind of serving that had spun him through the tournament with ease. It was just as well he had the break advantage before the rain (that never was) as it was enough to edge the third set.

The firsts signs of danger came once more from the World No. 1 who took advantage of a looser game to nick another break and if Federer was not careful, there would be no need for the roof before the next bunch of angry clouds wrung themselves out over us.

The pace that had maybe been lacking in Djokovic was now coming to the fore, as he consolidated, putting one hand on the trophy. With the crowd groaning as one at the double fault that almost handed Djokovic a virtual match point at 2-4, 30/40, you could just sense this was slipping away from the seven-time champion. Depth and pace were taking their toll, as Djokovic could at least see the finish line with a 5-3 lead. Could Federer keep the dream of a comeback alive – the serve that had destroyed Murray on his own patch had to return in force.

Yet history would not smile on Federer yet again on the court he calls home, and as he walked off ahead of the roof closing for the ceremony, he could not even bring himself to acknowledge the crowd that had been almost entirely for him, as one voice.

For the entertainment of the second set alone, the defending champion perhaos deserved more than the muted applause he received. He is, after all the World No. 1, and even though yesterday the crowd were all for Garbine Muguruza, they could still acknowledge the achievement of Serena Williams. It seems that Djokovic still has a way to go before he is as beloved a champion at SW19 as the departing Federer.

The 17-time champion acknowledged he had his chances, and once more we had a strange end to the finals.

“It was always going to be tough for both players to start the first set, second set and third set. It’s always a mental and physical challenge to keep going, keep going,” he said.

“We both I think had chances. I saved a couple of breakpoints early which I think was big for me to stay with him. Then I think I had chances myself maybe. Then he got the break on a forehand I should not miss.

“It was a different atmosphere then. Also from the crowd. Everything went into the breaker. You slowly got to build it up in the beginning of the third. Yeah, definitely would have been nice to stay with him there at that point or even go a break ahead.”

He continued: “Some matches tend to be easier to digest. This one feels the case, just because the end of it. It was awkward, you know, having to shut the roof. You go take a shower. You come back for the ceremony. I was like, ‘give it to Novak, it’s his moment. Okay, fine. Let’s go take a shower, come back.’ So that was weird.

“I think that gave me a chance to also settle down and come back and have a much better idea of what actually happened out on court.”

But as much as history beckoned and the put itself out of reach, the moment belonged to the World No. 1 and defending champion.

“I think there is no reason not to be satisfied with what I have achieved. In contrary, I’m thrilled and very proud with all the success that I had so far in the career, everything I reached. If you would ask me as a 14‑year‑old back in Serbia trying to find my way, you know, that this is how I’m going to end up at 28, of course I would sign the deal and take it right away,” he told the press after the match.

“There were a couple of Grand Slam finals that I think I could have won. But, again, having said that, everything happens for a reason. I try to learn from every experience, especially the ones that don’t end up victorious for me. I’m going to keep going.

“I’m 28. I feel good. I don’t feel old. I have hopefully many more years in front of me. I’m going to try to push my own limits and see how far I can go really with titles and with myself playing on this high level.”

And thus we call time on another 10sBalls Wimbledon – we’ve had Pimms, we’ve had sunshine, and most of all we have had two outstanding performances from the World No. 1s but the crowd have left us under no illusions that this year, their hearts belonged to those holding the flat silver platters.

Photo by Global Chick.

Topics: 2015 Wimbledon Championships, All England Tennis Club, Atp World Tour, Federer vs. Djokovic, global chick, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Tennis News, Wimbledon final

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10sBalls_com says:

July 12, 2015 at 1:03 pm

-@DjokerNole DENIES @rogerfederer AND CLAIMS THIRD #Wimbledon CROWN- GLOBAL CHICK CALLS TIME AT #SW19 http://t.co/zmLe7srfvt #WimbledonFinal