Clinical Djokovic wins Wimbledon title

Novak Djokovic outplayed a gallant Kevin Anderson in Sunday’s Wimbledon final to announce his return to the top of the game.

Djokovic’s 6-2 6-2 7-6(3) win over the South African ended a two-year Grand Slam title drought and vaulted the Serb back inside the top 10. It’s his 13th major singles title.

Since his last major victory at Roland Garros in 2016, Djokovic became mired in an extended form slump, a major factor in that being an ongoing elbow injury. It was at Wimbledon last year that he retired from his quarterfinal against Tomas Berdych and then took six months off, trying to heal the injury naturally before eventually taking the surgical route in February this year.

Yet in the past couple of months the former world No.1 showed signs of a return to form, and it all came together on a sunny fortnight at the All England Club.

A fourth #Wimbledon title: sealed ?

The moment @DjokerNole would have dreamed of… #TakeOnHistory pic.twitter.com/czu3QgrdHr

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 15, 2018

“I think alongside the first Wimbledon title when I managed to get No. 1 of the world for the first time in 2011 and win my dream tournament, this is probably next to that the biggest achievement I had,” Djokovic said after seeing off Anderson in two hours and 19 minutes.

“I did not expect to be back in the top shape already here in Wimbledon so quickly. It took me several months really to regain the confidence, go back to basics, start to hit as many balls on the practice court as possible so I can feel comfortable playing on the high level.

“I couldn’t pick the better place, to be honest, in the tennis world to peak and to make a comeback. Wimbledon has been always a very special tournament to me. I dreamed of winning it when I was a seven-year-old boy. I made a lot of improvised Wimbledon trophies from different materials.

“I really always dreamed of winning Wimbledon.”

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As the final began, there was plenty of interest in how Anderson would perform physically, given his arduous path to this point. And on the first point, signs were promising; he moved well and came out on top of an 11-stroke rally.

Yet things went south from there, quickly. He committed, in succession, a backhand error, a forehand error and a double fault to drop serve in the very first game. He was broken again in the fifth game. The first set was gone in just 29 minutes, and he was calling for the trainer to work on his lower right bicep.

Kevin Anderson got his elbow rubbed after the first set. He served 278 times on Friday.

— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) July 15, 2018

“The first game I made a break of serve was a perfect possible start,” Djokovic said.

Countered Anderson: “My body didn’t feel great. I don’t think you’re going to expect it to feel great this deep into a tournament when you’ve played so much tennis.”

Djokovic committed just one unforced error in the first set and continued to dissect Anderson in the second. Anderson’s lethargy showed on the third point of the fifth game. Djokovic played a deep return down the middle and the South African simply couldn’t get his feet into position quickly enough. He sprayed his reply well wide; a couple of points later, he double faulted to fall behind 4-1.

Djokovic now leading Anderson 6-2 4-1, looking like being even flatter than yesterday's women's final.

— Mike Dickson (@Mike_Dickson_DM) July 15, 2018

The dynamic of the third was completely different, and thankfully for the crowd it was more compelling. Djokovic played increasingly passive tennis while Anderson appeared to get a second wind, returning with more venom and eliminating errors from his game.

He earned a break point in the eighth game, two set points in the 10th game and three more set points in a dramatic 12th game. Djokovic erased each one, all the while increasingly aggravated by the crowd, which was barracking hard for Anderson, sympathetic to his plight and desperate for more tennis.

The fight appeared to drain from Anderson in the tiebreak that followed, and Djokovic was dialled in again. The Serb slotted a forehand passing shot winner for 3-1, drew a volley error with a nastily dipping ball for 4-1, and pounded an unreturnable serve for 5-1.

A few points later, Djokovic was Wimbledon champion again.

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“I felt really, really good today. I thought the first two sets against Kevin, even though you could feel he was nervous, you could feel that he wasn’t playing at his best, was making a lot of errors, but I thought that I was very, very solid. Probably the two best sets I’ve played in a long time,” Djokovic said.

“He was the better player in the third set, without a doubt. I was just trying to hold on and keep my composure in decisive moments. I served well, played some good shots when I was set points down, then played a perfect tiebreak to finish.”

When you spot dad with the trophy ????#Wimbledon @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/POO2uXZWRq

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 15, 2018

The Serb enjoyed the moment all the more, when, approaching Sue Barker for his on-court interview during the trophy presentation, he spied three-year-old son Stefan in the player’s box, who just joined to watch his father’s moment of glory.

“I didn’t talk about it, but it was one of, if not the biggest, motivation I’ve had for this Wimbledon this year,” Djokovic revealed.

“I was visualising, imagining this moment of him coming to the stands, cherishing this moment with my wife and me and everyone. It’s hard to describe.

“I never had him in the box watching the tennis match. Roger I think had his girls and his boys as well I think last year and the years that he won at the trophy ceremony, so I was hoping I can have Stefan, too.

“That was just a moment that I will carry inside of my heart forever.”