It will be Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer for the Wimbledon title on Sunday afternoon. The Grandstand’s Ricky Dimon and Cheryl Murray along with Pete Ziebron of Tennis Acumen preview the action and make their picks.
(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (2) Roger Federer
Ricky: Federer and Rafael Nadal occasionally produce the instant classics that live in history. But Federer vs. Djokovic delivers the goods on the most consistent basis of the Big 3 (or even Big 4) matchups. And another good one is almost certainly in store. Federer has dropped only three sets this fortnight and he is coming off an awesome performance against Nadal in the semis. Djokovic surrendered just two total sets during his trip to the title match. The world No. 1 leads this extensive head-to-head series 25-22 and 2-1 on grass. That doesn’t mean much. But 2-0 in Wimbledon finals and 8-2 in their last 10 overall are numbers worth nothing. Given that Djokovic also took care of business in an easier semifinal, he gets the nod. Djokovic in 5: 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4.
Pete: Historically, this may very well prove to be a pivotal match with respect to the final total of majors won by the Big 3. With a win, Federer increases his margin to six over Djokovic (and three over Nadal). A Djokovic victory elevates his tally to 16–two behind Nadal and four behind Federer and concurrently cements the fact that he will have won four of the last five majors. Since the last time they met at a slam (2016 Australian Open), Federer has added Ivan Ljubicic to his team–a man who has beaten Djokovic, Nadal, and even Federer himself multiple times. The Ljubicic presence has enabled Federer to creatively refine his game-plan (as evidenced against Nadal) and he will look to successfully implement these tactics in the final against Djokovic. Federer in 5: 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4.
Cheryl: Federer-Djokovic doesn’t necessarily pack the punch that a Nadal-Federer final would, but it’s hard to complain about the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds squaring off for the title at Wimbledon. Djokovic enjoys a slight head-to-head edge over Federer, but he’s won the lion’s share of their most recent matches. In fact, the last time Federer got a ‘W’ over Djokovic was in round-robin play at the ATP Finals back in 2015. Both men have enjoyed a great fortnight, but Federer had to face Nadal in the semis while Djokovic’s opponent was Roberto Bautista Agut. Although both matches went four sets, the Federer-Nadal battle was the more physical and certainly more emotional. Going into Sunday’s match I give Djokovic the edge, as he’s historically been able to handle the Federer serve and because of the fact that Federer has never managed to beat both Nadal and Djokovic in the same slam–or even at any tournament other than the 2010 ATP Finals. Djokovic in 4: 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6.
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who ya got?
Roger Federer in 4 sets.
Federer in 4
Outside of beating Nadal at RG en route to a 2nd title there, I can’t think of something that could be better for Fed’s legacy than getting another win over Novak at a major en route to the title. Even more so if he were able to win a major title beating both Rafa and Novak en route. That’s one thing that Novak and Rafa have both achieved once that Fed hasn’t done. Also just the fact that he would be the oldest major champion ever (I think?). This would be monumental for Fed.
When I weigh all the factors, I still have to give Novak the slight edge. Given all the factors and history, I feel I would be disingenuous to say that Fed has the edge here. Fed absolutely can win this one, and he very well may. But if I had to bet all my money (which isn’t much), I would have to bet on Djokovic in 5. Boy, do I hope I’m wrong! I actually haven’t wanted to be wrong this much in a long time…
Federer will have the crowd strongly on his side. That will bother Djokovic. Whether that will make him weaker or stronger, I don’t know.
It worries me that Fed said he was exhausted after his match with rafa. It’s going to be very difficult to replicate the same level of intensity. It was that extreme focus which won him the match imo, usually it’s Rafa who is most dialled in and the role reversal disconcerted and kind of intimidated Rafa imo. Can he bring it again against nole or will he be flat? Hoping for our lovely Fed fans he can bring it tomorrow.
Is a real danger that after that level of intensity he is flat. Hope not or the final won’t be good.
He was exhausted after the match n he said it just 5 mns post the match. The final will be 43 hours later n he has a team to recover him. He will be fine
Djokovic in 3(i hope)
On SF form, I would have to pick Federer. He played close to his best tennis, whereas I think Novak was a couple steps below his. RBAs game and energy tailed off in sets 3 and 4, which made that match easier for Novak than it might have been. Moreover, Djokovic really hasn’t been the same since winning at the AO earlier this year. Fed has the game, if he serves and executes well, to beat Djokovic. If he returns like he did against Nadal, that will be a bonus.
The real question is whether Fed can bring his SF form or something close to it. (Others will say another question is whether Fed has overcome his mental block against Novak, even if he has against Nadal). He did say he was exhausted, and that was probably both emotional and physical. Is 40-odd hours enough time to recover at his age? We’ll find out, but I think he’ll be ready. I also don’t think this match will go 5 sets. Federer in 4.
He need not but can. Remember the Murray SF in 2015 where he was flawless n then he fell apart sets 3 and 4 in final. I think it will be mental. Rafa was not mentally secure in his sf hence lost as he admitted he was worried about his bh n that nervousness spread all over. Whoever is mentally stronger will win it.
Sounds good Joe. I hope you’re right. I have Fed in 4 too.
Djoko is always playing well in finals. Maybe it’s time for an exception. A niggle, a Cilic moment in 2017 or something like that would help. I know this doesn’t sound very brave, but I want him to win badly. I wouldn’t mind if Djoko helped somehow by not showing as his allost always does.
Why are we wishing an opponent an injury ..please…I don’t think anyone would like it if they wish fed a niggle..it should not happen that what you wish for Nole comes to haunt fed. Let fed win it fair and square rather than by his opponent hobbled like cilic was in 17.
I don’t wish him an injury. I didn’t say that. I hope he’ll not play at his best. Like it’s not his day. Cilic didn’t have an injury come on. He used as an excuse to cover his weak nerves.
Don’t change the meanings of my words, please sanju. I don’t wish injuries to anyone.
I thought he had heavy blisters..that’s what I remember..didn’t he..I thought he took extended medical timeout….I remember something like that ..
Coming to Federer, he has the game to win. It will be all mental. It won’t be easy as djoko is not no 1 by chance. Darren Cahill has picked Federer to win. It about who is mentally strong . 2014 final Federer lost as he was mentally weak in fifth. 2015 clearly Novak was better. I think Federer may give his all tomorrow on court.
That’s a very insensitive comment. Sometimes what you wish for others happens to you. Please don’t let envy or bitterness define you.
Don’t discount Novak has Craig on his side. He studies every match n opponent n patterns. Craig said that in exact 2 points of ao final he could infer Novak is winning ao 19 final.
The brothers McEnroe have made their picks. Both are picking Djokovic. John says in 4, and Patrick says in straight sets!
Patrick is leaning so heavily toward Djokovic because he thinks that Fed had to spend so much emotional energy to carry himself through the match against Nadal, he’s afraid Fed will be too flat against Novak. Even if I don’t agree totally with him, I do understand it. I can’t imagine the level of come-down after that Nadal match, but then having to somehow gather up even MORE 🔥 for facing Novak in the next round, with the title on the line…
That’s the exact same point I made. It’s incredibly difficult to replicate an exceptional level of intensity and the danger is that you have already so far depleted your emotional resources and stamina that you have less and flatness ensues. I am afraid that will happen.
Don’t really agree when it comes to the very top players .Nadal was flat in the AO final , but that was put down to lack of match practise. Four years ago, Fed beat Murray very easily, then did run out of steam in the final as he did the previous year,but that was more down to Noles play.
In this case, the win over Nadal will have given Fed a shot in the arm , if anything , and Nole will have to lift his game. Im hoping for a Fed win in three or four , but if it goes to five , Djoko is the only winner.
Predition : Nole in five.
Eugene..to make you happy many astrologers are predicting roger..supposedly roger has good time till Feb 2020..after that Saturn enters his house till 2022 which is bad..so for Tomm stars are good .he will win likely n probably..
I am rooting for djokovic though not because i prefer him..I like both djoko n fed equally. It’s just to keep fed close to Rafa as I want them both to retire with same number of slams n I don’t see Rafa winning 3 more slams if roger touches 21
I see why you’re rooting fir Djoko sanju. No worries, I would too in your place. Makes sense.
I’ll take that astrology thing 😉 Hope it works.
I tgink the win over Rafa may energize him even more, opposite to make him discharged.
Let’s do it man!
Sanju, so how many more slams you think Rafa could win?
Max 2 lucky..not more..I’m hoping one of them is ao so that he gets double career slam
Sanju, I doubt. I’ll bet that Rafa will win > 2 more slams.
I think Rafa will be determined to win the coming USO, after suffering a disappointing loss at Wimbledon. Rafa seemed confused out there when playing against Djoko at AO and Fed at Wimbledon. I think he was caught between playing offensive or defensive tennis.
Against other players, his newly acquired offensive game is sufficient; but against Djoko, who defends so well, he will definitely need to get into tussles with Djoko. Against Fed, who’s more aggressive than anyone else, he’ll need his defence more, but, he also needs his aggression especially from the baseline, like his passing shots winners from both wings (not only from the FH) and his ROS and serve too. He needs to find the balance, if not he’s not going to beat them.
To me, if Rafa could make his offensive game becomes a natural part of his game, he will not need to think so much but let his game flows freely. Rafa is already so good, that once he plays freely, his groundstrokes etc are there and are devastating enough against his opponents, but sadly, he only plays this way when he’s about to lose, or when he knows he has no chance of winning (like the AO2014 final for example, the set that he won against Stan, he was hitting without missing, and serving without thinking).
I’m looking forward to the day when Rafa can play his defence/offence game at will, without having to think too much.
Yes but lucky if he was all confused there like a deer with headlights..what makes you think he will resolve it as soon as the uso..both djoko n fed will have to lose before facing him for that..it’s not as if he is short of matches like Serena was yest who also seemed confused out there what to do
Lucky do you think that the confusion in Rafa ‘s game between playing offense and defence is partly the result of a split in coaching attitudes between Carlos and Toni? Toni has tended to emphasise getting one more ball back and making the opponent play while we know Carlos wants Rafa to play aggressive as early as possible. I know Carlos should be the predominant voice now but Rafa has been trained by Toni from such an early age and for so long…He still comments on Rafa’s game afterall..
Hi Sanju and Amy,
First Sanju, I think Rafa still has time to work on his game. The USO HC is not as quick as grass and not as low bouncing, so Rafa can actually play it like his FO final (where he played an excellent match, switching from baseline rallies vs Thiem to turning aggressive in set three and four).
On grass, Rafa simply lacked competitive matches before coming to Wimbledon, and the quicker low bouncing surface takes time getting used to. He only had one really competitive match ie vs Kyrgios, the other three opponents weren’t competitive at all, so facing Fed in the SF was really a big step up.
I feel Rafa wasn’t confident with his aggressive game vs Fed, he tried in the first set, but Fed read his lefty serve out wide at the Ad court so well and returned it with interest, forcing Rafa to be on the defence right away. (I read that Fed practiced with Llodra and Niemenen before the match). Once Rafa’s aggressive game wasn’t effective, he started playing his usual long rallies, but note that Rafa was playing further from the baseline even on grass (very surprising to me), I watched his 2018 match vs Delpo, he was also playing further from the baseline. He wasn’t playing like that during 2012-2014, I remember those matches where he played against Kukushkin and Rosol, he was close to the baseline then.
I do feel that Rafa should play a warm up event on grass, he needs competitive matches to make him realise what he needs to improve on and to get a feel of competing on grass. If he can serve and move well and feels confident on grass, I don’t think we need to worry about his draw anymore at Wimbledon!
Amy – yes, I think Rafa is confused, we can’t ignore Toni’s influence on Rafa. I really think what Toni said after the Shanghai final, ie Rafa should try to extend the point and not play to Fed’s pace, did influence the way Rafa played in this SF. Once I saw Toni in the player box, I knew why Rafa played the way he played, not that Toni was telling him anything, but his presence was felt.
To me, it’s only on clay that Rafa really was so confident that he need not listen to any of his coaches and play the way he send fit, because he’s winning so much that no coach could tell him he’s doing anything wrong!
*and plays the way he deems fit,
2 more Frenches
I doubt any at any other slam, but perhaps 1 on either hard or grass.
Thanks lucky! I agree with you! I don’t also like that Moya isn’t there at wimby. I feel that Roig has much less authority and that Toni’s voice becomes confusing. Also I think.we would all like Rafa to.have a serve coach!
Yes agreed! The serve is very important at this stage of his career. He needs a great serve to win on grass as he’s not his 2008 self anymore.
First of all,Congratulations to the Maestro fans on here,it was quite a performance from your man on the semi!
The level he brought to the match was absolutely insane,given his age IMO.
Now that the BH isn’t a liability anymore,Rafa’s running out of ideas against Federer and getting nervous,going back to defense,which obviously isn´t paying dividends because he hasn’t the speed to back it up anymore. I also noticed that Fed’s lateral movement was up par,that FH on the run has been really good this fortnight!
Looking ahead to the final,certainly from a Rafa fan point of view,a Djokovic win would ensure that the slam gap for Rafa stays the same. Well,I’m rooting for Federer to get it all. I mean,of course it’s slow grass and Djoko is the GOAT returner,but it’s also really low bouncing this year,so I think Fed has a good shot at the title and he really deserves it for this campaign so far.
Also,Novak hasn’t looked in supreme form this Wimby,and so far he’s looking anything but unbeatable(of course he’ll be fired up facing one of his archi rivals. We’ll see how Djoko deals with the immense pressure on him,as I think that if he’s loosing tomorrow,he’s saying goodbye to the slam race.
It remains to be seen wether Roger will be tired(emotionally and physically) but I think Fed’s confidence will be running high on him after taking out Rafa.
Here’s hoping for an absolute cracker of a final!
Gaviria, I don’t agree. Djoko is one guy that the more you cheer against him, the more fired up he becomes. Also, never underestimate Djoko in a slam final against his two main rivals, he will bring his best regardless of how poorly he played during the earlier rounds.
Even if he loses this, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of his slam winning and chasing (the leaders) days; he’s just so good that he could just continue to win at the USO, AO and the next Wimbledon all over again. So, whether he remains at 15 or gets to 16 after this final, he’ll continue to win many slams imo.
My take is, he’ll surpass both Fed and Rafa in greatness, with most slams, most Masters, most YE no.1 and most weeks at number one, most prize money.
fed in 4.
One huge factor for Fed will be the crowd . This could be his last ever Wimby final , and how many people will be cheering against him?
Interesting how the Macs are picking Djoko , John said Fed in five over Rafa.
Fed won’t retire
As a neutral fan,i will go with Novak in 4….
The crowd will be a huge factor for Novak today..i think he will use the crowd siding with Fed effectively…the louder they cheered for Fed,the more determined he will be…
But i will not be surprise if the Maestro pulled the win today…nothing surprises me bout Fed anymore!hahaha…
Best of luck to both greats!
I hope Fed wins, but I think it’ll be Djoker in 4.
Fed in 5
Djoko in four or five sets I think. The guy Djoko can just stay in the point for as long as possible without making mistakes, scary.
I watched some highlights of their Wimbledon match (don’t know which year – 2014 or 2015 – the points were long baseline rallies and Djoko was playing close to the baseline (something Rafa couldnt do these days when during Wimbledon 2012-2014 he was playing close to the baseline, don’t understand why the change these days). Both were playing well then.
Let’s see whether Fed could stay with Djoko from the baseline in the final; I think Djoko will try his best to pin Fed to the baseline. Djoko’s returns will be very important, in stopping Fed from S&V and rushing the net.
So can Fed these days, its something he has been working on the past few years. IMO, Fed has been the best player for most of this year excluding the clay court season. Djokovic will need to be exceptional to win this final and so far we havent seen anything close to it.
Djoko winning the AO tops it all on the HCs.
10 to 15 percent chance of rain they say Amy..is 2012 repeating where andy was coasting ahead till it rained n they closed the roof
It’s quite humid sanju! But Nole is fantastic indoors as well as fed!
Hard not to feel Fed will suffer a letdown after the intensity of the sf and that Nole’s ros will.impede his capacity to play his super aggressive game…
Djoko’s groundstrokes are so precise! Impressive!
Fed just choked big time. Shouldve got the break.
Djokovic knows he has the mental edge and smells blood when Fed doesnt take his opportunities.
Fed missing a lot of shots that he wouldnt normally miss. He will need a bit of luck to overcome this mental battle. Its a shame because if he just played his normal best he should win this no problem. Djokovic is a great hussler.
Fed too predictable at the moment, coming in on the wrong side not hitting into the open court etc. That’s what happens when youre not in control.
Djoko serves better than Rafa, his serves are more difficult to return.
Fed missing so many shots simply because of the mental factor. C’mon Fed, you have too much respect for this guy.
I just started watching the match and already I can see that Novak is playing some insane tennis. Fed is also playing extremely well, but Novak is returning shots that Rafa could not. He is forcing Fed to make some errors in long rallies. But Fed just got back even. Both guys looking sharp.
What a backhand down the line by Fed. Thats the Fed we know.
Thats the Fed we know.
Novak using his defense to get ahead in the TB.
Fed should have won that tiebreak !
Djokovic gets so many freebies its scary. Simply because of the hustle. What a joke.
Novak took that TB away from Fed. There’s the difference between this TB and Rafa and Fed in the semifinal. Novak is getting Fed to make more errors. That is the pressure Novak puts on his opponent.
I refrained from giving my thoughts about this match. It seemed like some were getting pissy about comments not favorable to their guy, even if it was what they thought. So I thought it better to just leave it alone.
I feel like Fed should have won that set. Had the break point chance and was better in the tiebreak. Big blow!
Exactly the same thing happened with Goffin. I kid you not Djokovic gets so many sets and matches handed to him on a platter.
Fed rarely plays to his potential against Djokovic. Mirka couldnt watch he was making that many uncharacteristic errors.
See, Djoko simply can get anything back, incredible!
Yes. I wished he lost 3-6 and moved on, then playing so well and losing in a tb. Its5 incredible. Many times Fed looked like a better player, almost had the point in the pocket, but Djoko would return it…
It is true that Novak gets everything back. That is what creates errors from his opponent. I think the pressure from Novak in that TB is what caused Fed to lose that TB.
Fed comes back with an early break in the second set. Maybe put a dent in the momentum from Novak winning that first set.
If Federer played like he did against Nadal, he would win this 3-0 or 3-1
Problem is he can’t, because Rafa is not Djoko.
It’s painful. He donated a whole set.
For some reason Djokovic’s desperate defense just rattles him. I reckon he has too much respect for Djokovic, Fed just needs to play his own game. If he wins, he wins, if he loses, he loses.
Meanwhile Fed is on the verge of a second break.
Novak is in a hole in the second set. Two breaks down. Fed is not going away. He wants it too much.
See, Fed when he plays normal destroys Djokovic. Fed has lost half a dozen majors to Djokovic by having too much respect for Djokovic and not playing his own game.
Djokovic is a great hustler, he stole 3-4 off Murray as well.
Fed plays normal? I thought his level gone down a bit, some DFs etc but Djoko was atrocious in the second set.
Djoko probably needed a breather after the intense first set, while Fed gave chase to level the match.
I don’t think Djoko wanted to lose the set intentionally, but seeing he’s already 3 or 4-1 down, he probably wanted to conserve for the next two or three sets.
Maybe Nole has stomach ache 😊
Should be 2-0 to Fed
Nole is using the same strategy as Fed did to Rafa, gave away the second set intentionally to confuse the opponent.
You think someone gives away a set in a slam final? Like Novak would not want to be up two sets?
LOl, wouldnt suprise me.
Djokovic isnt even worried, he know’s he’ll most likely get the match handed to him at some stage.
What has Djokovic done to be 1-1 right now? Nothing!!!
That is nonsense! Novak played a great TB! He took it away from Fed!
T
How uncanny is this that this match is repeating same pattern and score as Fedal match in first 2 sets ? There too rafa was up mini break in tb yet lost, same Fed over here
Good observation sanju. I thought about it…
This is eerie that the score is exactly the same as the Rafa/Fed match!
What are the odds of that?
Novak seems clearly off
It is not that he gave away from the beginning.
But close to the set ending, he found no possibility to win it anymore, so her just gave it away.
yes but serving ahead always helps..fed is serving head in 3rd
Djoko looking lethargic, what happens to him? A sudden drop of level since beginning of set two.
Fed still looking OK physically.
One of the silliest things I read here, is that a tennis player will offer a set intentionally…
We sometimes say ‘hand him, donated, gave up’ but metaphorically speaking.
Fed looks the one so eager to win, Djoko doesn’t look so keen.
The match has lost all its intensity..its looking so flat out there now
Djokos gameis so way off now..finally a good point after long..21 shot rally
Djoko’s CC BH is really very good, not afraid of Fed’s improved BH! The angles he could create are incredible.
I think roger takes this ..djoko seems too lazy out there
Roger has been the better player entire match
You have to break Djokovic early in the set, the longer the set goes the harder it is because he’s so good at the hustle.
Fed looks the more hardworking one, creating chances whilst Djoko just returning and defending.
Djoko looks so calm unlike Rafa who looked nervy whole match.
This match so far doesn’t look like it’ll turn into a classic, can’t compare to their 2014/2015 matches. I guess they’re much older now, no longer that energetic. The Fedal SF too, can’t compare to their 2007/2008 classics.
Novak seems off. I don’t know if it’s physical or mental. ESPN commies keep saying that Novak has not broken Fed yet.
Novak just seems lethargic out there. But he has been known to turn it around when you think he is out of it.
He hasn’t had a single break point!
I hope we don’t have another tiebreak which fed loses having been the proactive player
Nole will take another TB soon.
Gosh, if Fed wins here, he’ll become world no. 2, doesn’t bode well for Rafa in the coming USO. Seeded no. 3 again may mean he has to beat the two of them to win the title there.
4th set, Roger will be a heartbroken man 😊
So many Ues by fed!
Djoko’s DHBH CC > Fed’s SHBH CC.
Nole played with half effort before TB, yet still win the set. This guy is real GOAT…
You have to break Djokovic early in the set he’s too tough when the match is close/tight.
Terrible breaker by fed. He has been the better player during the match!
what special love does roger have for novak? He played better both sets 1 n 3 n still lost by gifting it with stupid errors where it mattered
Exactly sanju! He has been the better player overall!
why is he not gifting rafa…isnt he his friend ?
Fed is not gifting it to Djoko, its just that it’s maybe too much to ask of him to beat Rafa and Djoko B2B.
If he didn’t play the way he played against Rafa, he wont be able to beat Rafa to reach the final.
It’s the luck of the draw, had Djoko drawn Rafa in the SF, Fed would have it easier while Rafa and Djoko would’ve to fight like hell just to get to the final.
Lucky..he did gift..first set bp..he hit a wild fh wide..he made very bad errors in both tbs..all were not forced by djoko..some were glaring misses.
You cannot expect Fed not to make errors, he’s not a machine. Djoko is so calm because he knows Fed will make mistakes sooner or later.
That’s why, I wouldn’t mind if he lost when outplayed. It’s even more painful when he donates points.
Wow, Djoko so brave and so smart!
Two TBs played, two TBs won by Djoko! OK now, please play properly to win the fourth set, no repeat of that second set please.
Fed could have won this in straights! Hard to see him going 5 and winning now…
Djoko won’t let this slip away from his grasp. Djoko is one who could raise his level when he needs to. He’s just so good, no wonder he’s no. 1.
Fed’s taking his eye of the ball, watching Djokovic too much.
Rafole last year was a better match than this.
way way way better..that was intense all along..this is more like their 2015 final of theirs..even 14 final was way better..infact this match similar to quality to the rafa sf till now..
True, but both Djoko and Rafa are not playing as well compared to last year. Rafa no doubt serves better but his rallying not as good as last year.
Fed plays better than last year but I doubt he could beat Rafa and Djoko B2B.
He gifted it at least 1 set. It should have been 2:1 to Fed now…instead it’s only 1:2.
Same like in 2014…
I hope he can take it to 5th set.
Nole still hasn’t had a break point. That puts rafa’s performance on return in perspective.
Yess! Finally Fed breaks!absolutely deserved!
So people here refusing to give Novak credit just like the guy is refusing to lose big points! Do you guys realise what it takes to win big points against RF in a Wimbledon final?
Novak Djokovic is a BEAST. He has not been able to play his peak tennis for most of the match but he is still leading 2 sets to 1.
I think he’ll get this break back and somehow win in 4.
Exactly VR. Well said!
It’s not easy to defend against Fed’s aggression on this court, yet Djoko is doing so well to win two TBs and leasing 2-1.
Hes about to lose the fourth set though, but I expect a good fight in the fifth.
That’s a bit much vr! You know that I have frequently supported and defended Nole here and taken a lot of stick for it! During RG I had Rafa fans criticising me for being nice about Nole and questioning my.loyalties!!
I do want fed to win today because I feel he deserves it more after his amazing performance against Rafa.
vr,
Thank you! The voice of reason! I don’t have to like Novak to give him credit! The guy seems to be playing less than his best, yet he can crank it up when he needs it.
He has been forcing Fed to make more errors. The guy is a beast!
Well said!
Double break!☺
Still remarkable that Fed hasn’t faced a single break point!
Wow Fed’s rolling in this one, AGAIN. Hard to predict the 5th set but Novak being the mentally stronger one more likely to pull it off?
Well he is what 5 years younger? and didn’t have an extremely emotionally draining sf so yes Nole should win! And Nole gets to serve first!
What a rally!
Fed’s service game broken now.
I have not been this toasted ar 10 am since Andy Roddick lost to Federer in 2009
Who serves first in each set loses the set in this match.
Will coincidence recur next?
Both these guys are tired. I don’t know how much Fed has left in the tank. he has been the better player for most of the match, but that break of serve was the first time I’ve seen him lose his focus mentally in two matches. I really have no idea who will win this now.
This is a slam roger will prove everyone wrong. He is destined for the win. All this cant win in 5 will be proven wrong. Time to rewrite history . Roger in 5 is my pick
oh dear, Sanju.
Now I remember when i started hating Roger Federer.
(not really) nothing to do about it and it’s only a shitty tennis game 😀
Federer is Federer – GOAT 🤮
too much BH slice and passiveness from fed in return games
he might as well attack, the Novak service has been attackable today
2-1 IDEMO, NOLE!
Been service game for Novak here
Big**
Roger..beauty..Deserves to win..better player all match..go get the 21..I am supporting you now as you deserve this more
Plus he played amazing against rafa! I don’t know how long he can keep holding playing second.
Fed looks a bit tired to me!
That’s it surely! Fed looks very tired now
What a passing BH from Djoker for the break!!!! Come on Nole!!
What a miss at 15-30!
Another bad shot on break point!
Wow Fed breaks back. Didn’t see that coming.
Roger is painting the baseline the last two games. Really upped his level
The one who wins it is the one who deserves it! That is the way of sport. Whoever can make the shots when it counts the most will win.
These guys have been slugging it out for hours with ups and downs and changes in momentum. Either guy will be a deserving winner.
Can’t imagine Djoko losing his serve immediately after breaking serve! He’s the no. 1 player, still makes such mistakes. He wouldve won by now, instead of having to carry on fighting out there!
True. But the pressure is too much.
5 all now
Fed looks the more tired of the two, struggling more on serve
He’s not tired.
Fed might be the more tired… but his baseline coverage is still pretty solid at the moment for it being the 5th set
6:6 5th set
Who is more likely to win?
Nole: younger and serving first.
To think that Fed is 38! Amazing!
Novak has won both tiebreaks maybe Federer wins this one.
Fed breaks bad game played by Djoker. But hats off to Fed . He is the GOAT
Fed breaks! Now to serve for the championship. Go Roger!!
Djoko has himself to blame if he loses this one, he’s a break up in the fifth but got his serve broken immediately following.
Fed breaks now and serving for the title.
2 championship points gone!
So much drama! Djoko survives but for how long?
so much work to break and then serve for it and it’s gone
dunno if Fed can come back from that
Don’t think he can. Must be gutted.
Well done, Novak!! Awesome match in which Fed had plenty of chances to win. I think he was mainly undone by less than good decision-making in the tiebreaks, along with some poor play and excellent play by Djokovic. What else can you say except well done and well deserved to Nole.
2 match points on your serve Joe…. just like at USO years ago…
Very sorry Eugene! You can be really really proud of your guy though.
Yes, 1st serve at 40-15 clipped the tape; would have been an ace. Second serve Nole blasted back and forced the error by inches. Those are the margins, especially in a match like this.
Djoko looks the more tired of the two despite being 6 years younger.
Massive hold by fed. Great point he played at 0-15 under enormous pressure.
Fed is very determined to win this one, he knows his chances in future are very slim.
I feel Djoko playing better in the fifth but Fed serves better of the two.
Seems very equal to me. Both are playing gutsy high level tennis.
Honestly feel like this is going to come down to if Fed has another lapse like he did in the first two TBs
R we going to get to 12 all.tiebreak?!
Massive hold by Nole showing nerves of steel.
I guess you people don’t remember Wimb. 2009 like I do.
Are you still alive rc!!?? oh my god tiebreak!
Hats off to Fed, he’s still going strong in this set to reach the TB.
Fed conceding mimi.break again!
This is historic. Thank goodness they changed the rule.
Fed losing another tie break!
God damn another TB gonna cost him
Fed has been playing like this is his last chance at a Wimbledon title.
Novak wins. Unreal!
Congratulations to Novak fans.
Commiserations to Fed fans. He left it all out on the court. Played his heart out,
That’s it! Congrats to Rc and Pat Lemon.
Big commies to all our Fed fans. He played an incredible match!
Both players are warriors and goats!
Wowoooooowoowowwoowwo what a match! And what a vicotry by Nole. Pissing on fedal again😳
Really odd to see Fed lose 3 tiebreaks on grass!
Yeah, quite unbelieveable that Djoko could win all three TBs against Fed!
Djoko looks and behaves OK here, not over celebrating, showing respect for Fed. I like Djoko when he behaves like this.
Was pretty damn gracious about some of the calls as well!
Well Djoko gets the win. Congrats to Djoko, commies to Fed.
Djoko is gutsy when it matters. He lives up to the no. 1 ranking. Well done to Fed, I didn’t know he could still fight for so long at his age, after a tough SF.
For Rafa, at least he gets to keep his no. 2 ranking, which I think is important for the coming USO.
The USO won’t think of some reason to give Fed the #2 seed? No, probably not.
Grats to Ratcliff in absentia – both her faves won!
Condolences to the Fedfans here. It was a magnificent battle! I don’t think Djoker outplayed Fed, but in the end he outlasted him.
And thanks to Wimbledon for FINALLY putting in a tiebreaker!
Thanks Ramara! Yes, Simona Halep was indeed a great surprise – I couldn’t be happier for her!
And Nole? Well that was breathtaking and too close to feel sublime about. I did drink a bottle of Champagne to get through it without knowing who would win! hahaha a little nap is in order.
You are a great poster here, Ramara 😀
lucky..rafa has 1000 points in toronto to defend and Fed i think is just 400 points behind now..its too tight..anyone can be no 2 seed
485 points to be exact, Fed also has 600 points to defend at Cincy, don’t think Fed is playing in Canada.
If Rafa fails to defend his Canada masters title, he still can play at Cincy if he wants. It’s highly likely Rafa is going to keep his no. 2 seed at USO.
Very hard to.lose a match like that. Both players deserved to win so sad to see either one lose…
That must sting so much. Had it ‘on his racquet’ when serving for it at 12-10.
Shoulda, woulda coulda, though. All over now.
Beating Nadal here is pretty big given the slam race, but it won’t feel like that to Fed right now.
Yeah very tough! Feel for him and his fans. Very hard to.have lost with 2 championship points.
Vamos Nole!!!!
Way to dig in when it counted and not allowing the rabid crowd cheering double faults get to you.
True champion and as much of a GOAT than Naderer.
Congrats rc!!!
I like Fed’s children, they’re so lovely. Fed doesn’t need to feel sad when he has already won so much and he has such a lovely family with him.
Veey nice cute family..parents included
Even though Fed lost.this match.enhances his reputation. To play like that at 37 is amazing.
As expected. Nothing new here. Same script.
Congrats to Djoko and his fans. Well deserved victory.
Really, Happy? That’s what you have to say after you said Fed would require ‘divine intervention’ to win? This was actually quite a different script from 2014-15, even if the final result was the same. Perhaps you’re just gutted, but you don’t sound like much of a Federer fan to me.
Happy, please happily fuck off. Sincerely, Ben
Haha yes!
You can delete that comment if you need to Ricky. Sorry bout the language just can’t help it. Dumbest thing I’ve read this year. “Nothing new here. Same script.” It was a five hour match idiot. What script?
And 2 championship points!!
My my what a match..thriller..Congrats Novak and Novak fans. Novak is so mentally tough to win a match not even playing anywhere near his best.
Roger..you played great..you deserved to win this..not sure how you lost that on your serve with 2 mp. You fought like a lion Anyways you did good..be proud..this will hurt though i know as he knows he lost what he should have won.
So Sanju, all your superstitions should now go down the drain.
yes thankfully 🙂 atleast the nishi one 🙂 and also all the astrologer predictions 🙂
Haha! Yeah the Nishikori omen only lasts one grand slam cycle, I am told
Warm heartfelt authentic words from Nole.
Such an amazing player in the face of adversity.
Still amazed by how good Federer is. Yes he made some tight mistakes but Nole also had many moments of nervy play.
So happy for Nole to have weathered the storm.
The GOAT race has never been closer!!!!
😞
Sorry for you, Benny, but cheer up. It’s just a tennis match, and unlike you and me, they get millions even for losing!
Really really sorry Benny. I was rooting for fed. Don’t know what happened in the tiebreak s. Amazing play from Fed over 2 matches.
Thanks Amy. Was tough to watch. Can’t win em all 🙁 anyways congrats to Nole, he’s a machine
So Djoko ties Borg with five Wimbledon titles. I want to see him at least being recognised as dominant at Wimbledon just like Borg or Sampras or Fed, to prove that tennis.com article wrong.
Djoko is not done yet at Wimbledon, so any new dominant future champion will just have to wait.
I just hope Rafa gets his third channel slam, to tie with Borg; and Djoko can win as many Wimbledon as he’s able to win.
I have never been more devastated in my life from a tennis match… Congrats to Novak. Struggling to keep it together right now. Two match points man 😞 so close…
I understand Benny. If that was Rafa with 2 match points I would have been completely gutted.
Benny, don’t be sad, we the Rafa fans have experienced those feelings many many times, we know how it feels.
Time will heal all these sad feelings, you’ll overcome them just like the Rafa fans have done time and again.
I know what you’re saying lucky. But lemme mourn this loss for now 😂 I’m just gutted, you understand. I’ll be fine and so will Roger. Just hurt so bad to watch him lose such an epic encounter
Commies Benny. Horrible feeling I know.
Thanks hawks good to hear from you again 😄
Me too Benny. I’m worried for Fed too. I though if I were him, how would I sleep tonight…? he must be devastated inside. 2 match points. Should probably have taken a break maybe before serving for the match, not rush, breathe, relax.
Thank you amy.
You are very welcome Eugene! Thinking of both of you as you are both great people. I am sure Fed will come back strong. But it hurts like crazy right now…
Eugene..he had 2 mp..i think he did not rush..novak hit some great winners..i think roger just did not hit through the ball those 2 points..he just hit to keep ball in play those 2 points..somehow strangely he did not make too many first serves entire fifth set..atleast in the big points
He got tight on those match points. He barely swung the racket on the first forehand miss then hit a very very weak approach shot the next point. He was just hoping djokovic would somehow botch that easy passing shot. It’s okay, nerves got him there but he fought so hard. He should be proud. To be playing at this level three weeks before turning 38 is inhuman.
I agree about the second CP, where Fed’s approach was much too shallow, and I think he came in to net without much of a plan, just hoping for the error as you say. But the first CP he narrowly missed an ace, clipping the tape. And Novak hit a very hard 2nd serve return at Fed’s shoelaces, forcing the error.
So yes, Fed could have played better especially on the 2nd point, but I think we have to give Novak credit for playing great -once again- when his back was up against the wall.
Nice to see Nole with Stefan.
The handshake was just too cold after such a match..even the post match interviews were just going through motions of talking about each other..no love lost here its very clear..but anyways roger is just too gutted..feel bad for him..and for mirka too..she was a wreck all match..
Yes they don’t like each other do.they?
I don’t think Fed and Novak actively dislike each other, but they’re not friends. Nole’s dad hates Fed, though.
Not a fan of the djokovic family and team in general. They give off a very arrogant vibe in my opinion, quite unlike the teams of Roger and Rafa.
Exactly what I feel Benny. Same, same, same.
Never like to see that potato face in Djoko’s box.
they dont like each other Joe..its obvious..the handshake was just too cold..I think if rafa would have won or lost this match..there would have been a proper hug exchanged..even rafa n novak have exchanged hugs after a close match..
novak thankfully did not over celebrate and was subdued..
Djoko’s son looks so serious! He’s so cute, sticking to the father closely.
His son is adorable.
As I said already, the one who wins deserves it. Both guys gave it everything, Fed face it everything, even had two championship points. That has to make it so much harder to lose.
You do not win three TB’s against Fed on grass by accident. In a match like this, it can turn on one or two points. But as far as I am concerned, they would both be deserving winners. Unfortunately, one player has to lose.
Novak has shown some real maturity in handling the crowd. That could not have been easy. For Fed this loss is going to hurt. I thought he had it with those championship points. He played so brilliantly after a tough semifinal with Rafa. Fed just kept on coming.
The one who wins in a match like this deserves it.
Fed gave it everything!
Joe, that is my opinion. I’m not disappointed bc I expected this.
Federer had no business losing this match when he was serving for the championship. Same script, just like one of the other Wimbledon finals when he was in a winning position and fell apart again for no reason. The same story. Nothing new.
You don’t get to determine whether i’m a fed fan or not. That was completely unnecessary. Fed should have won but he lost again. The same story.
Djokovic is just very confident and determined in a grand slam final. If he was the one serving for the championship, hell will freeze over before he loses his serve. Federer had no business losing his serve when serving for the match. That was just terrible and djokovic did nothing special to break him there.
Congrats to Djoko. Entertaining match but the usual outcome.
You’re just making it worse dude. Show some class or get off this site.
Happy is a troll no? Very uncalled for at this time.
Like the troll who came on this site after Rafa lost to Fed in the semis?
Yes exactly, that grasscourt guy right? Just ridiculous
Before the game where he served for the match… a few games earlier. Novak was serving. It was 15:30. That was a key moment aslo. Roger should have been more aggressive. He had chances to win. Normally it could have finished 3:1, if he took 1/2 of those tb.
Thank you Rafans for being great people.
Yes that grasscourt guy. I cannot deal with that kind of garbage. However, I do not think Happy is trolling. Just giving his take on the match. But I understand why Fed fans would not like hearing it right now. The loss is still too fresh and raw. That’s why I am just giving my commiserations to Fed fans right now. Rafans have experienced our share of tough losses.
To come thisclose and lose is very difficult. Nobody would blame any Fed fan for not wanting to hear an analysis about Fed losing again to Novak. He had it in his hands. He was there. Fed fans should feel gutted. So I am trying to show some respect for both Fed and his fans. It’s just a bad feeling.
The good news is that Fed fought hard fir this win. As long as is still playing, he can have a chance at another Wimbledon. There is the USO coming up, too. Fed is still in there playing and competing for slam titles.
In what Wimbledon championship did Federer hold a winning position against Djokovic? I must have missed that one.
Thank goodness Djoko lost against Thiem at the French. Against Fedal, this guy is an ice cold machine. To take down the king of grass down in three wimbledon finals is other worldly.
Surely Federer’s title of king of wimbledon is under threat in a few years :O
Commiserations to the Fed fans.As a Rafan, we encountered this same feeling last year. Maybe not as intense as you guys are feeling now. But Fed is some freak of nature. To play Rafa and Nole b2b and almost finish it.
What a match! Congrats to Novak and his fans! He never stopped believing! Great win!
However,I think Fed is the one who deserves all the admiration! He played unbelievable and he was the better player in all aspects. Those two match points were just unfortunate! He came so close to writing a history yet again! And his endurance and physical fitness: wow, just wow!!!
Fed is not going anywhere, that much I can assure you! He is simply amazing! I thought he deserved this win more than Nole: he had tougher draw, he had beaten Rafa, he was wining his sets more convincingly and the was first to break in the fifth!
Great match! Sorry Fedfans I know it’s a tough loss to digest..,but be proud of your man! He is the living legend!
Nole broke Fed fist in fifth set and then got broken again twice.
Thank you natashao, much appreciated
novak broke first in fifth natashao 🙂
Yeah, true, I meant of Fed breaking twice and serving for the match…I mean the guy broke Nole 7 times and still lost the match! How weird is that! No wonder I lost the count 😉
By the way, was anyone else reminded of the Way Nole saved one BP in the semi last year against Rafa with the cross court short angle FH on the 2nd MP
Here’s my take on this match. First, I don’t think it was the same quality as 2014, although Fed’s play for much of it was extremely high. Second, unlike 2015, Fed didn’t choke in this match, which makes me feel much better. I do think he tightened up a bit in the big points, particularly in the 1st and 2nd TBs. But Novak also did that at times. Overall, though, I think Fed came and played as well as he could and it just wasn’t good enough in the end. Obviously, there wasn’t much between the players, and you could make the case that Fed was the better player overall (forgetting the result, obviously). You couldn’t have said that about any of their slams from 2014-15, so in that respect I thought this match was quite different.
Probably the only thing tactically that I would have changed was that Fed played too tentatively in the 5th set. He chipped back too many second serve returns, and didn’t hit his FH as aggressively as I think he could and should have. I think he used the slice effectively, but overall didn’t play as aggressively as he did against Rafa. When he did, he generally had success. I don’t know how much fatigue played a role, but it must have played some.
Agreed on all those points Joe. Great analysis
Joe..dont you think he was tired..coming over the bh on returns takes a lot..neither were hitting hard last 8 to 10 games..fed was slicing as its easier than hitting over the bh..fh lost its pop only due to fatigue..the whole match lost its pace and depth last 8 to 10 games..the quality was much better first half of fifth
roger played better overall match but novak won the big points..fed losing the bp in first set with wild fh was costly..and he played badly in all 3 tbs..glaring misses
Yes, Sanju, you’re probably right that fatigue did play a key role. But also right that Novak simply played more of the big points better, particularly in the TBs.
More aces, more points won, more points one on first/second serve(percentage wise), better winner to UE ratio.
Just dont understand how Fed lost. Maybe he should have taken a bit more time, instead he just continued to play quick. But Djoker won it , Fed did not lose it.
Fed continued to hold serve after he was broken while serving for match. Just goes to show how mentally strong he is . And Djoker has done it thrice against Fed, being 2 straight MPs down twice on Fed’s serve.
This one is going to sting to Fed. Race for world number 2 is interesting. Rafa defending 1000 points for Toronto/Montreal and Fed defending 600 points for Cincy. And the difference right now is 485 points. Which means if we take out the points which are to be defended, its only 85 points !!
Benny and co, have I ever used that language on you or anybody else. You can disagree with some one but not be incredibly rude and aggressive. Check the other Wimbledon final that went to a 5th set, and fed had the upper hand in that and still lost. He broke Djoko and still lost that was 2014 or 2015. It’s the same thing here again. How he can just miss it like that again and again is frustrating. But that does not warrant you insulting me. That’s childish and uncalled for.
Later people will say that Djoko fans are rude and obnoxious. Fed fans can be just as bad. Very difficult commenting on a tennis forum when people are so rude and insulting. Fed had two championship points in the US open, same result. It’s so disappointing. Notice I have never insulted or used curse words on anyone but stating my opinion is a crime.
Have a nice day everyone. I will kindly get lost as requested.
Happy, in 2014, in 5th set, there was only 1 break . I think Djoker saved bBP in fifth set in 2014 but he never lost serve.
that was sf happy in uso..not finals ..it was not championship point
yes, that may be what he was thinking of.
Perhaps, Happy, if you took as much time and thought in analyzing the match as you do in defending yourself, you wouldn’t draw such reactions. Your comment on the match was abruptly rude in tone and uninformed in content, ignoring the many differences between this match and earlier ones. Were you so cocksure that Fed would fail to convert those championship points at the time, after he had just served two aces? Somehow I doubt it.
Well, I think you should stick around, if it suits you at times. As a Novak fan this site is not so good for support in a match like this one was. But I don’t expect it to be.
I go on twitter in cases like this. There are genuine Nole fans to be connected with there. I wish you the best, Happy.
Sorry, but I have had it with all of these digs about this site not being good for Nole fans! Enough already! I have not been disrespectful to him and managed to deal with Rafa’s loss without dissing other players.
I do not like being lumped in with those who may not like Nole or who have been disrespectful to him.
My comments were pretty neutral, since I had no favorite in this match. I called it like I saw it. I have given all due respect to both players for a magnificent wffurt.
Sorry, but I have had it with all of these digs about this site not being good for Nole fans! Enough already! I have not been disrespectful to him and managed to deal with Rafa’s loss without dissing other players.
I do not like being lumped in with those who may not like Nole or who have been disrespectful to him.
My comments were pretty neutral, since I had no favorite in this match. I called it like I saw it. I have given all due respect to both players for a magnificent wffurt.
EFFORT!
Apologies for the double post.
Actually I’m full of admiration for all three of them – Rafa, Fed, Djoko. They’re truly very special tennis players and we may never see players like them again once they retired. They have made each other become even better tennis players throughout their careers, maybe they’ll retire at the same time?
Well said. Yes, I thought Djoker looked more tired of the two. Djoker has not reached 2014-15 level . In 2014-15 he was the better player in the finals , served better , less UE and more aggressive. I thought it was a match where Djoker lost focus twice.
But right now I feel on HC Djoker and Fed are ahead of Rafa . They both start favorites against Rafa, so Rafa needs to maintain his 2 ranking before USO in order to have a good draw in USO.
the no 2 is only to avoid novak in sf fedexal..otherwise 2 or 3 is immaterial
And thats a huge thing. We saw here it could mean Back to back tough matches. Given that next gen has not arrived still, fair chance that big 3 reach USO SF.
but even being 2..rafa can draw fed in his half..still will be two b2b tough matches
hey guys..cut happy some slack..he is not trolling..he is just saying fed had no business losing it and hence said same script as always (he has lost many close ones against novak)..he is not being disrespectful to Fed at all..who can and who will after that match..
I hate to say it guys, but at this moment I cannot see how Novak won’t end up being viewed by the majority of people as the “GOAT” when all is said and done… It will either take one of the young guys to magically become all-time good, or for Novak to suffer another injury. As long as he just ends up tied with either Rafa or Fed for the most majors, he will just have the edge is just about every other way to measure it. He has been without question the player of the decade. Rafa has his time in 2013, and Fed had his in 2012, and they both shined during Novak’s injury slump. Novak will likely end up with the most year-end #1’s. He may even end up catching Fed’s time at #1 record. He will have his majors pretty well spread out among the 4 tournaments. He’s won every Masters. While head-to-head records are very subjective and not the end-all-be-all, they are still a factor. And he will probably end up with the edge in his head-to-heads with Fed and Rafa. He has no holes in his game. He honestly might just be the greatest tennis player overall that I’ve ever seen… He has dominated Fed and Rafa at the majors for years now. His mental toughness is unmatched. I could go on and on. If I had to bet on one of them being considered the greatest ever by most people when all is said and done, I would have to bet on Novak. He’s just unbelievable.
Yep Kevin, I said it before, that Djoko may end up having the most majors, most Masters, most WTF titles, most YE no. 1, most weeks at no. 1 and the most prize money. And he may also hang on to his positive H2H vs his two main rivals – fellow ATGs.
When all these happen, its hard not to pronounce him as the Goat.
But people will still love Fedal more. He can’t win that. And I’m not saying that with hate. Probably he deserves it. But for some reasons, many people don’t receive that well his vibe. I never liked his staff members. And the things his father said about Fed. Just can’t answer that question. Why can’t I like Novak as much as Fedal. I don’t know. There is no logic here.
If he does what you said, I have no problem in admitting his Greatness.
I mean he’s already Great, but I mean calling him the GOAT. Let’s see the numbers when they all retire.
Looking at stats now. He’s been a better player overall, but not when in mattered most – in the tb.
You’re right amy. That’s so subjective. Imagine Rafa beating him last year if roof remained open in Wimbledon SF and Fed closing the match today. Novak would already have 14 slams and not 16. Very low margins.
Yeah cant agree more, Kevin. He certainly will surpass Fed in terms of the hard court slams. Judging by the way he has been performing in Wimbly, he may have a case to be the equal of Federer at Wimbledon even if he wins a title or two less since he has beaten him in 3 finals there already.
The only place there is a country mile between him and any of his fellow goats is RG which Rafa has managed to make a bastion much more so than Fed. But he may encroach there too in the coming years considering the form he is in
He had no business winning the final considering how brilliant Fed was but still he managed to win it on Federer’s turf when Federer himself had said that the stars were aligned for him. Fed had this perfectly. He was on course to
1. Win a grand slam beating Rafa and Nole b2b
2. Win after losing first set in the final
3. Win even after having lost two tiebreaks, which are his specialty
4. Win in the 5th set
But Nole just hung tough. This reminded me so much of the AO2012, when Rafa defeated Fed and had Novak on the ropes, up a break in the fifth and thought he would finally vanquish his demons but Nole came roaring back. The same thing happened here, Roger beats Rafa and almost takes out Novak.
Novak seems to come out on the right end of the close matches more often than not
1. AO2012 semi
2. AO2012 Final
3. USO2011 semi
4. USO2010 semi
5. AO2013 4R
6. AO2015 semi and also the Simon match
7. Wim 2014
8. Wim 2018 semi
9. Kevin anderson qf at Wimby
His losses are
1. AO2014 qf
2. RG 2013 semi
3. Thiem RG 2019 (thank god for that)
Come on vmk, I could also make a list for Rafa too, or Fed for that matter.
I don’t understand this ‘the stars are aligned’ for Fed to win this Wimbledon. If it is so, then Fed should not be having Rafa in his SF, and Djoko should. I mean you expect Fed to beat them B2B to win his 9th Wimbledon title at the ripe old age of 37/38? Maybe Fed could do that in 2007, or 2012 but not now.
When I saw the draw, I knew Djoko would most likely be the one winning this Wimbledon, because frankly speaking, his draw was not so difficult for a player of his caliber. And, Djoko wasn’t even playing his best tennis to get to the final; had Fed been a bit more fresh physically, perhaps he could hang tough to win in one or two of the TBs, or took one of his two Championships points to win the title.
I know Djoko’s defence and baseline game would be tough for anyone, he also served well when he’s in trouble. The fact that Fed could still have his chances to win the match said a lot about Fed’s level, it’s a pity he had to go through Rafa and then Djoko, something quite impossible to do for anyone, esp when you’re coming to 38.
Sorry but can we stop going on about the goat thing? It’s impossible to make exact comparisons between different eras. There is no goat, just subjective opinions.
Haha! Just looked at Ricky’s Twitter: ‘Federer should be up 4 sets to love ‘
Yes indeed.
Fed botching 3 tiebreaks on grass is something no-one would have predicted. Unprecedented.
Absolutely, Fed should have won this match in 4, if not straights. He was untouchable on serve for nearly four sets, but his game let him down in the TBs.
I don’t think Fed is going to retire any time soon, and I don’t think he’s done winning slams.
Thanks Ratcliff.
Joe, I was not surprised when Djoko broke fed. It has happened before. Djoko’s return is just scary. Fed was the better player overall and still lost. It has happened too many times. It’s so painful. Djoko is just so good that you can’t give him an inch bc if you do, he will take a Mile and eviscerate you. He does that time and again. The guy is unflappable. You have to be on your game and not blink to beat him bc he’s just like Rafa he never quits.
Fed losing his serve and the match while serving for the championship is just unbearably painful. How? Why? If it was Rafa, I can understand bc rafas serve is not as good as feds.
Djoko is so dangerous in major finals that honestly I don’t like fedal facing him except at the French. He has not lost to them in a major final since 2013 I believe.
The disappointing thing is, even when fedal are the better players overall in a match against him, he still wins bc he is such a clutch player.
Djoko may end up being the goat. His game is so good, I think his only area of weakness (if u can call it that), is that he’s not as good in the net as fedal. The guy is incredible.
He’s the favorite to win the US open followed by fed and then Rafa bc until Rafa upgrades his serve, it won’t be easy. But hey anything is possible. Maybe we’ll hav a different US open winner like Wawrinka bc we know he can beat anybody wen he’s on his game and he’s the only one that has regularly dealt with Djoko in a major final in recent years.
Nope, he lost to Rafa in the FO2014 final.
And Stan beat him in two slam finals – FO2015 and USO2016, so nope, he’s beatable in a slam final.
I feel Fed was a bit unlucky, not only during the match, but it’s also the luck of the draw. Had it be Djoko vs Rafa in the SF, Fed would then be fresher for the final and I’m sure a fresher Fed playing the way he played would beat Djoko or Rafa in the final.
Fed at almost 38 having to beat Rafa and Djoko back to back was asking too much of him; even though Djoko wasn’t playing his best tennis.
It’s also no guarantee that either of Fed, Rafa and Djoko would win the USO, because it seems that conditions there in New York was tough last year and maybe tough this year too. Djoko has to get to the final first before winning it but Djoko did look to me a bit off physically in this Wimbledon final. Both he and Fed have to recover first, after such an emotionally and physically gruelling match.
Stan Wawrinka has not played well for a long time. At this point it is hard to have confidence in his overall game going into the US Open. Novak is the favorite again.
That’s scary… The fact that he wins even when his opponent is better. It’s unfair somehow. I feel like Fed had a better chance with the old Wimby format (no tb in 5th set) He could still hold his serves.
Isner screwed the final..this match should not have had a tb in final set..the tb should be only for isner no one else 🙂
For real Sanju, considering he lost the previous 2 tb, he was in a psychological disadvantage. The change didn’t help him at all.
When you can’t blame the ref or someone else, but your idol, it’s even harder. Benny I hope you alright.
Im disappointed it wasn’t a super tiebreak like in the doubles?
I want to add that anyone can learn something from Djokovic. Even if the odds are against you (15:40) give it your best shot, and you’ll love yourself next morning, even if you lose. Never give up.
If anything, Fed should be loving tiebreaks, even more so against a returner like Djokovic. He won his fair share of breakers to break opponents hearts at the 2007,2008 and 2009 final.But tiebreaks really test the mental strength of a player and especially if a player wins three tiebreaks under pressure in a final, against a server like Federer, there are no points for guessing who the mentally stronger player was. If someone had told me, that the winner of the match will win three tbs while the runner up will win the other two sets by securing multiple breaks, I would have bet my house that Federer had won
Not a fan of tiebreaks, but at 12 all in the 5th…! I think first to 10 point tb would be better than the standard first to 7.
What an amazing match. Federer’s level was very high through the match though Djoko was up and down. I thought Fed was the better player overall but Djoko proves again when he’s the mentally toughest guy out there (not to mention doing it time and again with the crowd against him). If GOAT = most number of slams, which I think it should be, GOAT= Nole. Which as a big Nole fan, I think is amazing and beautiful, he doesn’t get enough credit/love/admiration from fans in general. That being said feel sad for Fed given how ridiculously good his level was and comisserations to his fans
You’re wrong AVN. He’s not the goat yet. Let him exceed Fedal first…if.
I agree that it is premature to call Novak the GOAT. Let the top three finish their careers and retire. That is when their careers can be assessed. For myself, they are all GOATS. They should each be celebrated for their unique individual contributions to this sport.
https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/video/index.html
Novak made it clear how Pro- Roger the crowd was. He said he dealt with it by hearing it as “Novak Novak”. Lol! He also said that his return game was completely off today and Roger was serving lights out. He just managed to play his game when it mattered, in the TB’s.
Novak certainly is responsible for dealing more heart-breakers to Fed. I think if they continue in the same vein, Fed may have a smaller h2h difference with Rafa than with Novak, in different directions, obviously.
Of course they are all legends and we have been lucky enough to be in an era when all three have been playing at the peak of their abilities for such a long time. He doesn’t have the most slams yet but in my opinion it is very very likely he will end his career with the most number of slams. The only way I don’t see that happening is a serious injury so I don’t think it’s as premature as most Fedal fans on this board would claim or like to think
So Novak stops Rafa from winning Australia and Roger from winning Wimbledon. Rafa stops Roger from winning France. what will the US open bring
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2019/07/novak-djokovic-roger-federer-wimbledon-final-live-blog-history-grass-major-centre-court/83530/
Novak making it clear again and again that he is going after the “historic” #1 which I assume is the most weeks at #1. Looks like all the Roger records that the Fed fans taunted the Rafans for are going to be eclipsed by Novak.(#1, WTF titles, YE #1 etc)
Novak on 16 slams span of 2008-2019.
Rafa on 16 slams span 2005-2017
Fed on 16 slams span 2003-2010. Fed did it in the least time. Unfortunately Rafa has been sandwiched between the two eras. Now only if Rafa can somehow clinch the USO 😀
If nothing else tennis is surprising. Djokovic had a poor two years from mid 2016 to mid 2018 so don’t just assume he’s going to win everything for the next few years. He’s 32 and not getting any younger.
As I assumed before the match. The fans didn’t help him. Too much cheering against Djoko – only fueled him more and made more Fed tense in the tbs.
If Novak stays #1, he can eclipse Rogers record in june2020
And he is only a matter of Nole slam away from Rogers record. And rogers interviews give a bit away about his mindset. After Djokers masters sweep at Cincy he said now that surfaces are playing even if was expected that someone will come and do it. It is a cool record but sort of expected. Now in todays interview he says that if I broke someones record, someone may well beat mine. Sort of downplaying the significance or maybe not bigging up Novak..
16-18-20 Amazing how he caught up to them. I doubt we will ever see a time like this again.
Federer played incredible tennis – the kind that wins GS’s. He is probably surprised himself. Novak was actually terrible much of the time – like the entire 2nd set and most of the 4th set. I was sure he’d lose. I thought Fed was stronger than I’d seen him play for a long time. Fed meant to win it today but he just barely didn’t. This almost was his 21st GS.
No reason he can’t try again next Wimbledon – if he’s still in this shape.
Maybe he wins US Open or AO?
Much much congrats to RC & Nole for the win…I feel that he will win many more!
Also a very hearty commiserations to all Fedfans here…Joe,Big Al,eugene,Kevin et al…i always hate to c him lose esp in a match like this..but…yeah..sometime u win,sometime u lose..
I wish Rog & u guys all the best for the rest of the season & onwards k?
Thank you dear, Mira Andi. Maybe he will win more or maybe not. He’s my GOAT and more slams won’t change that 😀
Yes there are some very nice Fed Fans here – commies to them. Commies to the Rafa fans that wanted Fed to win too. It was indeed close!!
You’re welcome RC!…
Thanks!
Fed might retire after this heart breaking loss, like Borg did.
Given his age now, this should the most painful one.
Anyway he doesn’t need the money anymore, and his legacy most likely will be eclipsed by Novak, however hard he tries in the next two years reaching 40.
There is no way Fed is going to retire because of this loss. Making a comparison with Borg is quite absurd. Borg walked away the age of 26. He was burned out. Fed will be 38 next month. He has stayed in the game far longer than most players. He loves the game. When he retires it will not be because of a tough loss.
Yup- there is no shame in losing to the likes of Nole. The big 3 is made of sterner stuff than that. In fact, Fed has looked quite good on hard court this year. He may just make a run at Cincy and New York. Especially if he gets the second seed at the USO and Novak and Rafa are drawn in the same half, he may fancy his chances there.
Djokovic couldnt believe his luck walking towards the net at the end of the match. the smirk on his face says it all.
As soon he won to go up 12:11 he had a spring in his step because he knew he had a huge advantage going into another TB.
Djokovic’s game holds up better under pressure.