Djokovic defeats Nadal in pulsating Wimbledon semifinal

Published by Matt Trollope

Novak Djokovic celebrates his progression to the Wimbledon final following a thrilling five-set win over Rafael Nadal on Centre Court; Getty Images
In a contest stretching over two days, Novak Djokovic overcomes Rafael Nadal in a semifinal for the ages to reach his first major final in almost two years.

Novak Djokovic on Saturday reached his fifth Wimbledon final after a classic five-set semifinal against arch-rival Rafael Nadal.

In a contest that will forever be remembered for its superb quality, Djokovic prevailed 6-4 3-6 7-6(9) 3-6 10-8 after five hours and 15 minutes.

Having endured a 12-month stretch ravaged with injuries, and elbow pain in the year before that, this marks the first time in three years Djokovic has appeared in a Wimbledon final.

“It’s hard to pick the words. I’m just going through things that flash back in the last 15 months and everything I’ve been through to get here and to win against the best player in the world … I don’t know, I’m just overwhelmed,” an emotional Djokovic told the BBC after the match.

“Very special. It really could’ve gone either way. It was very clear that very few things separated the two players. Until the last shot I didn’t know if I was going to win. I believed it. But I knew he was very close and had chances.”

The victory sets up a final against Kevin Anderson, who on Friday won 26-24 in the fifth set over John Isner – the second-longest Grand Slam match in history.

“Hopefully we can first of all play,” Djokovic laughed. “It’s been a roller-coaster ride (for him) in the last couple of rounds.”

That match pushed the start of the Djokovic-Nadal semifinal to 8pm; as a result, they played three sets on Friday night before play was suspended due to the late hour with Djokovic leading two sets to one.

When they resumed on Saturday, with the roof closed, Nadal was sharp, breaking for a 3-0 lead. Djokovic wrested back control to level at 3-3, but Nadal would win another three games on the trot, leaving Djokovic to rue a 1/6 conversion rate on break points.

The fifth set had everything.

Rarely do two players peak at the same time, but Nadal and Djokovic both played purposeful, aggressive, athletic, intelligent tennis, thrilling the crowd and contributing to a crackling atmosphere.

Games went on serve for the entire stanza, but both players had plenty of opportunities to break, leading the other to elevate their game in a desperate bid to maintain their advantage.

Djokovic on several occasions got ahead in Nadal’s service games, yet Nadal looked set to blow the match open when he arrived at 15-40 in the ninth game, only for Djokovic to produce two big serves and then fire a backhand winner to push ahead 5-4.

The match continued in this manner until Djokovic arrived at match point in the 16th game; Nadal saved that with a feathery drop shot.

Yet despite Nadal escaping to hold for 8-8, Djokovic wasn’t discouraged. He held comfortably for 9-8 then benefitted from a Nadal slip mid-point, playing a forehand into the open court for 0-40 and three more match points.

When Nadal hooked a forehand wide, Djokovic was back in a Grand Slam final for the first time since the 2016 US Open.

“These are matches you live for, you work for,” Djokovic said.

“You finish at 11pm, back to the practice court at 10.30am, adrenaline is high, it’s not easy to relax. Late night, early morning, but in the end I’m so glad to overcome this challenge.

“I’m in the finals of Wimbledon and it’s an incredible achievement for me after what I’ve been through. I’m trying to digest that first and enjoy it then focus on the next one.”

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