This one was an instant classic! It might not have compared favorably to the Nadal-Federer Wimbledon Final back in 2008, but it was not far behind, either.
The match went back and forth. Neither man yielded a service game in the first set, and no one had the clear advantage going into the first tie break. Federer jumped out ahead in that one, getting an immediate mini-break, and racing out to a 3-0 lead. But Djokovic came storming back, and had a set point at 6-5, only to see Federer come storming back to eventually take the first set.
Advantage, Federer.
Then, Djokovic did what neither man had been capable of doing up to that point, by breaking Federer's serve early in the second set, then hanging on to his own serve to take that set, 6-4, capturing the momentum.
More or less even, although the momentum gave perhaps a slight edge to Djokovic.
Federer was far from finished, however. And the two men battled it out through another long set in which, once again, neither man was able to break the other. Another tiebreak. But Djokovic was able to take the lead, breaking Federer, and he captured the third set, looking like the younger and stronger man, heading into the fourth set.
Advantage, Djokovic.
Pressing hard to get an early break to seize the lead and, presumably, the match, Djokovic did in fact break Federer early, and held a 3-1 lead in the set.
Major advantage, Djokovic.
But Federer broke right back, for the first time all match, and it was back on serve, giving him renewed life. He's a champion, and you know that he's going to battle back, right?
Only Djokovic was very determined, and as soon as hope was ignited for Team Federer, Djokovic rained on the parade, breaking back, and then holding serve, for what appeared to be an insurmountable 5 games to 2 lead in the fourth set, needing only one more game to take the title.
Just about game, set, and match, Djokovic, right?
Not so fast! Because at precisely that point when Federer looked dead in the water, he somehow battled back to not only hold his serve (and surprisingly easily, at that), but then to break Djokovic once again. That, after saving a championship point!
Suddenly, it was 5-4, and Federer held serve to get the set even. Worse yet, Federer immediately put a tremendous amount of pressure on Djokovic and, low and behold, managed to break him once again, putting him on the ropes in the set, and with a chance to serve for the set, and force a fifth and decisive set. And Federer held serve, completing the five consecutive game sweep to come back from 5-2 down in the set to win it, 7-5.
Just like that, it was the same Djokovic who had blinked in the biggest moments of the biggest games. Djokovic had played well throughout the match, and the tournament, but he once again looked like he was about to be defined by what he could not do in the biggest moment of the biggest match, against another elite opponent (and they do not get much bigger than Roger Federer). Djokovic was an elite player in tennis, sure, but he seemed to be reinforcing the image that he simply could not beat the greatest in the key moments of the most important matches. He showed his frustrations, and he was clearly beginning to lose confidence. Something that had seemed so close, now seemed out of reach for him, as Federer looked the fresher of the two, with Djokovic seemingly hampered by injuries, as well as by looking and appearing mentally deflated, heading into the fifth set.
Advantage, Federer.
But in the fifth, just as it seemed that Federer had all of the momentum, and was about to fulfill his date with destiny, Djokovic cleared his head, shook off the cobwebs, and went back to work. Like a prize heavyweight fighter in a title fight, he had been knocked down and seemed to have been on the ropes, but he came out swinging. He won his first service game easily, and kept his service game going strong the rest of the way. In the meantime, he once again applied pressure on Federer's service game. Neither men were able to break, and it was on serve and looking like it was going to go beyond the standard six games, with Djokovic leading, 5-4.
That is when Djokovic suddenly applied fierce pressure on Federer, who had begun to show signs of fatigue late in the match. His usually solid forearm almost looked like a liability. He began missing the jump shots, and his shots along the lines were sailing just wide. And it all culminated with a disastrous game down 5-4, and serving at that point simply to stay in the match. Djokovic took the 15-40 lead, and this time, he was able to convert, breaking Federer for the last time that he needed to.
Game, set, and match, Djokovic.
It was a truly great match between two of the sports elites. It came on the heels of Nadal making headlines only weeks ago, just days after his record ninth French Open title, when he said, rather solemnly, that the era of the four greats - Nadal himself, Federer, Djokovic, and Murray - was coming to a close. Indeed, Nadal was upset, shockingly being sent home early by the number 144th ranked man in the world in this Wimbledon. And Murray failed to defend his Wimbledon title, also, as his de facto home field advantage this time was not good enough to even send him to the semifinal round.
Yet, it was still Federer and Djokovic of the old guard who restored order in the end. One could boast seventeen Grand Slams in his storied career, and the other had won six, which is not too shabby itself. Between them, 23 Grand Slam titles, with a 24th guaranteed. It was just a question of who,
Most people, myself included, expected Federer to take it. He had looked more solid in this tournament that he had in years, and surely he would be especially driven for this one. After all, he's not getting younger, and whether he admits it or not, you have to wonder how many more golden opportunities he is going to have like this one. Nadal was knocked out early, and Andy Murray was out of the way, too. He had played very strong, not dropping a set, or his service game, until pretty deep into the tournament. Federer had easily dispatched with young, up and coming Canadian star, the rising gunslinger Raonic in the semifinals.
It looked predestined in the beginning, and even though Djokovic had fought valiantly and almost taken Federer in the fourth set, it once again looked to almost everyone entering that fifth set that order would be restored here, too, and Federer would add yet another mark to his list of accomplishments.
Instead, Djokovic rewrote the script, and pulled off a win that many felt he was not capable of. He beat the mighty Federer, had slayed the dragon in the biggest of stages. He had made Federer blink, for once, at the key moment.
And it was Djokovic, and not Federer, who hoisted the trophy before the crowd, having regained his ranking as the top ranked player in the world.
A ranking that he might not yield again for some time to come!
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