Former world No.1 Novak Djokovic has reached his first grand slam final since 2016 after battling past Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(9), 6-3, 10-8, after a two-day roller-coaster clash at The All England Club.
The meeting between the two was postponed on Friday night after Djokovic valiantly rallied his way to a two-sets-to-one lead. Unfortunately for the Serbian, he couldn’t continue his momentum as the 11pm Wimbledon curfew halted proceedings. Giving both players a chance to reflect upon their performance overnight.
“When you finish at 11pm and you have to come back to the practice court at 1030am. The adrenaline is really high, but it is not easy to relax. “ Djokovic said during his post-match interview.
“At the end of the day, I’m just so glad to overcome this challenge.”
14 hours after the last ball was hit in the match, the battle resumed on Centre Court. Resulting in the delay of the women’s Wimbledon final. A decision that has angered some in the sport. Nevertheless, the high calibre of exchanges between the two continued in what was their 52nd tour meeting. The was little to tell between the two with Djokovic winning just four points more than Nadal in the entire match (195-191). Coincidentally, both produced 73 winners to 42 unforced errors. Although Djokovic lead the ace count with 23 to nine.
“It’s hard to pick the words. I’m just going through things such as flashbacks over the past 15 months and everything I have been through to get here to the finals.” Said Djokovic, who missed six months of 2017 due to an elbow injury.
“It is one of the longest matches I’ve ever played. I’m just overwhelmed.”
At the start of the fourth set, Nadal saved two break points to battle through a 16-minute opening service game during what was a set of cat and mouse chase. The Spaniard then stormed to a 3-0 lead with the help of his sublime aggressive play. Only for a determined Djokovic to draw back and level 3-3. Nadal continued to apply pressure on his opponent and once again got rewarded for it. A low shot trigger a Djokovic forehand slamming into the net to gift another break to the second seed and the chance to serve the set out. A task that was far from simple. Nadal recovered from a 0-40 deficit by winning five points in a row. Forcing the match into a decider with the help of an ace.
With a minimum prize money pay-check of £1.125 million at stake for the winner, there was little disparity between Nadal and Djokovic during the closing stages. Paving the way for a marathon 18-game final set that will go down as one of the most memorable in the history of their 52-match rivalry. In total the 111-point set featured 14 aces and 42 winners.
Ultimately, it was a single falter that would prove instrumental in the outcome of the encounter. That was the case for Nadal more than five hours into the match. Serving behind 8-9, a slip on the grass enabled Djokovic return the ball in to work his way to three match points. His place in the final was then sealed after a Nadal forehand drifted out. Prompting Djokovic to look up at the air in delight.
“It (the match) was really special. I think it could have gone either way. It was very clear that few things separated the two players. I didn’t know if I was going to win until the last shot. I believed it, but I knew that he was very close.” Djokovic reflected.
“These are the kind of matches you live for. You work for.“ He later added.
A win away from his 13th grand slam title, Djokovic will next take on Kevin Anderson. On Friday the South African prevailed over John Isner after six hours and 35 minutes of play. Making it the second longest match in Wimbledon history.
“Hopefully we can both play.” Djokovic joked about the upcoming final. “It has been a roller-coaster ride for him in the last couple rounds. He has had a day off, which means a lot. I wish I could have one.
“I’m in the finals of Wimbledon. It is an incredible achievement for me after what I have been through. I’m just trying to digest it for and then look ahead.”
Djokovic has now won 250 matches in grand slams. He leads Anderson 5-1 in their head-to-head and has won both of their previous meetings at Wimbledon.
