Novak Djokovic (photo ©Spekoek) reached the final defeating Philipp Kohlschreiber, Jarkko Nieminen, Bernard Tomic, Kevin Anderson, Marin Cilic and Richard Gasquet. So far he lost two sets, both to Anderson in the fourth round. He’s the defending champion.
Roger Federer reached the final defeating Damir Dzumhur, Sam Querrey, Sam Groth, Roberto Bautista Agut, Gilles Simon and Andy Murray. So far he lost one set to Groth in the third round. He’s in his tenth Wimbledon final and won seven of the previous nine.
Roger Federer starts the match aggressively, as in his semifinal, but Novak Djokovic plays a solid tennis. The balance is broken in the sixth game, when the Swiss take advantage of some mistakes by the Serb to break him but he gets broken back in the next game. In the twelfth game Federer has a total of two break points that are also set points but Djokovic wins his service game and they go to the tie-break. The Serb starts well with a mini-break and increase his lead with another mini-break to go 4-1 and going to serve. Federer ends a bad first set tie-break with a double fault that delivers it to Djokovic 7-1.
The second set starts again balanced. The first to have an opportunity to take aa lead is Roger Federer, who in the fifth game has a total of two break points, but Novak Djokovic manages to win his service game. In the tenth game the Serb is the one who has a break point which is also a set point but the Swiss wins his service game and on 5-5 he has a break point but the Serb wins his service game. They go to the tie-break again and this time it’s Federer who starts breaking his opponent but loses the next points on his serve. The Swiss gets another mini-break in the fifth point but loses the next one on his serve and they switch court with a 4-2 lead for Djokovic. The Serb serves on 6-5 but loses the point and they switch court again with a tie. Federer has a set point on 8-7 but Djokovic cancels it. the Serb has a set point on 8-7 but the Swiss cancels it. on 9-9 they switch field again, Djokovic wins the point with a great return, serves another set point but loses it, loses his next point on his serve too and Federer wins the second set tie-break 12-10.
In the third set Roger Federer has a break point in the second game but Novak Djokovic wins his service game and in the next game breaks his opponent. It starts raining and on 3-2 for Djokovic the match is suspended. After about twenty minutes the game is resumed but the roof wasn’t closed. In this continuation the serves are dominant making the initial break deciding so Djokovic wins the third set 6-4.
In the fourth set the balance lasts until the fifth game, when Novak Djokovic breaks Roger Federer with a great return in the break point. The Swiss tries to react but struggles and in the seventh game offers a total of two break points but wins his service game. In the ninth game Djokovic breaks Federer again to win the fourth set 6-3 and conquer his third Wimbledon title.
Roger Federer reached the final with a lot of expectations. Honestly I wasn’t elated after his win against Murray because the Scot tends to allow the Swiss to play well. A year ago the final seemed his last chance, this year he arrived in great shape at Wimbledon and managed to get in the final another time but again showed that against a really solid player like Djokovic he can’t win a match on the five sets distance.
Novak Djokovic played a tournament far from exceptional but gave his best in the final. After the big Roland Garros disappointment he confirmed his Wimbledon title. Today he wasted in the second set but otherwise was very solid and proved he’s the number 1 in the world.
