By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, July 14, 2018
Novak Djokovic edged Rafael Nadal in a five-hour, 15-minute thriller advancing to his fifth Wimbledon final where he will face Kevin Anderson.
Photo credit: Clive Mason/Getty
Seizing a sliver of space near the sideline, Novak Djokovic created just enough space to edge rival Rafael Nadal in a thrilling semifinal spectacle.
An inspired Djokovic out-dueled world No. 1 Nadal, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9), 3-6, 10-8, in a classic semifinal clash spanning two days that sent the Serbian into his fifth Wimbledon final and 22nd Grand Slam championship match.
Anderson: Shorten Slam Fifth Sets
Playing before royalty—The Duchess of Sussex and Serena Williams friend Meghan Markle joined the Duchess of Cambridge and tennis fanatic Kate Middleton in the royal box—old rivals took turns elevating eye-popping levels of play in their 52nd career clash.
"It's hard to pick the words," said Djokovic, who is through to his first final since the 2016 US Open title match. "I'm just going through things that flashback to the last 15 months everything I've been through to get here to get.
"To the finals and win against the best player in the world in one of the longest matches I ever played over two days. I don't know. I mean I'm just overwhelmed."
Pulsating rallies and a pressure-packed final set created a dizzying climax Djokovic closed in five hours, 15 minutes as Nadal hooked one final forehand wide.
"Have been a great match," said Nadal, who lost his first major semifinal match since bowing to Juan Martin del Potro in the 2009 US Open semis. "I think a fantastic level of tennis for both of us. I think I was not a spectator, but I think was a great show for the fans. Of course, not happy with the final result. Of course, happy about being part of this match that have been a great one."
Each man hit exactly 73 winners with Djokovic, who cranked 23 aces, winning precisely three more points in taking a 27-25 lead in the most prolific ATP rivalry in history.
"Very special," Djokovic said. "It really could have gone either way. People who have seen the match know it was very clear that very few things separated two players. Basically, until the last shot, I didn't know that I would win. I believed it. But he was very, very close and he had some chances. This is the kind of matches you live for, you work for."
The 12-time Grand Slam champion, who raged at himself over errors and beat the bottom of his foot with his racquet at one point, kept calm at critical stages, fought passionately and lives another day in this wild Wimbledon.
Playing for his fourth Wimbledon championship, Djokovic will face US Open finalist Kevin Anderson in tomorrow's final pitting strong-willed and staggered competitors.
The eighth-seeded Anderson edged John Isner in a six hour, 36-minute epic—the longest Centre Court match in history and second longest Grand Slam champion—and the 32-year-old South African may well be physically spent having toiled 21 hours to reach his first Wimbledon final.
Meanwhile, Djokovic hasn't exactly taken the express route to his fifth Wimbledon title match spending 15 hours, 34 minutes on court.
"Hopefully, we can first of all play—both of us get out on the court," Djokovic quipped. "I mean it's been a roller-coaster ride for him in the last couple of rounds. But he had a day off, which means a lot. I wish I can have one, but it is what it is. I'm in the finals of Wimbledon. It's an incredible achievement for me after what I've been through. I'm just trying to digest that first, enjoy it, and then think about the next one."
Forget about raising the roof.
Two champions continuously raised the stakes—and elevated their play—to stratosphere-shaking levels in a suspenseful climax to a stirring semifinal.
Nadal erased match point with an audacious drop shot that skipped off the sideline holding for 8-all one game after Djokovic denied three break points that would have given the Roland Garros champion a chance to serve for the final.
The 12th-seeded Djokovic led arch-rival Nadal, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9) after saving three set points in the tie break when play was abruptly halted by Wimbledon's 11 p.m. curfew on Friday night.
Play resumed at about 1:11 p.m. London time today. It took two hours, 22 minutes to complete the match creating controversy as well.
The men's semifinal resumed before the ladies' final between 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and two-time major winner Angelique Kerber despite the WTA reportedly requesting the AELTC start the men's semifinal after the women's scheduled 2 p.m. championship.
Given the stakes, that would have been the most sensible solution, but Wimbledon adheres to its scheduling quirks.
Though conditions were sunny the semifinal resumed with the Centre Court roof closed to ensure continuity of conditions as the match was played beneath the closed ceiling on Friday.
The tournament gave the players the option of resuming with the roof open—provided both agreed to it —however Djokovic preferred to play with a closed ceiling.
Asked if he agree with the club's decision, Nadal replied: "No, but I will not talk more about this. If not, you going to write about this, and I don't want you to write about this today."
Both players were pounding percussive shots reverberating beneath the translucent roof from the first game of continuation today.
Shooing a moth away with his Babolat racquet, Nadal turned his attention to Djokovic. A stubborn Nadal saved two break points and converted his fifth break point to open the fourth set.
Deflated by his inability to convert break points, Djokovic didn't do enough with a backhand pass. A swarming Nadal knocked off a stretching forehand volley then drew an error breaking at 15 for a 2-0 lead 19 minutes after the resumption.
Ebbs and flows in exchanges continued as each man took turns calling the shots in rallies.
Two wild forehand errors from Nadal gifted the break. A resurgent Djokovic reeled off 12 of 14 points leveling the fourth set, 3-all.
Down 3-4, Djokovic was in prime position to make Nadal pay for a poor drop shot, but netted the most routine shot of all—a forehand right at his opponent—gifting the break and a 5-3 lead to the second-seeded Spaniard.
A raging Djokovic compounded that miscue with major pain hammering his Head racquet against his left foot in a sole-shaking show of angst.
Roaring back from the triple break point ledge, the two-time champion put his foot down. Nadal slid an ace off the service line making the chalk dance sealing the fourth set to force a decider.
Though Djokovic pressed the issue more vigorously at times and earned six break points in the fourth set he had nothing to show for it and quickly needed to clear any gloomy collateral damage from his mind gearing up for the decider.
Exceptional serving highlighted the start of the fifth set with both men imposing on first serve.
Then Djokovic ratcheted up pressure.
Spreading the court with searing forehands into opposite corners, Djokovic drew a forehand error for the first break point of the last set. Nadal saved it with the slider body serve, drew Djokovic forward and curled a running forehand from the doubles alley down the line. That stirring strike helped Nadal level, 4-all.
Struggling to shake off the hangover of opportunity lost, Djokovic coughed up a pair of forehand errors that put him in a double break point bind. The 12-time Grand Slam champion saved the first with his 20th ace and the second with a stinging serve out wide.
Exhaling audibly when a Nadal forehand down the line narrowly missed the mark, Djokovic withstood a breathtaking game for 5-4.
Shortly after undergoing elbow surgery in February, Djokovic tinkered with his serve in an effort to reduce the stress on his right elbow.
Amping up his serve during his run to the Queen's Club final last month, Djokovic stung that shot with authority today. Djokovic drilled through a two-ace game raising his total to 21 for the match seizing a 7-6 lead.
In the 15th game, Djokovic showed his guts again denying three break points, including whipping a tremendous forehand pass crosscourt that eluded a hard-charging Nadal on the third break point. Djokovic withstood the stress holding for 8-7.
"For me personally, nothing to complain with that," Nadal said. "I don't feel that was impatient. I feel that I take the position to go to the net to play aggressive. He played a great passing shot. If he missed, we would be here talking how brave he was that he went to the net. He hit a good passing shot.
"That's the sport... He play great. I can say he deserve it, because he deserve it. In my opinion, he deserve it. I deserve it, too. Both of us deserve it. As I say the other day against del Potro, anyone could win. Today I say the same. The other day was for me, today was for him. That's it."
Serving to stay in The Championships, Nadal was racing left for a forehand when slipped and crashed to the court, got up and retrieved a backhand but netted it facing triple match point.
The slip-up was prelude to the knock-out. One final running forehand from the world No. 1 missed the mark and a weary Djokovic thrust his arms in triumph.
The most prolific rivalry in ATP history now stands with Djokovic holding a 27-25 edge in this historic head-to-head series.
Fittingly, the rivals stood side-by-side when it was over showing shared class signing autographs for fans after stamping a brilliant semifinal spectacle on The Championships.