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Djokovic Outlasts del Potro in Epic Wimbledon Semifinal Djokovic Outlasts del Potro in Epic Wimbledon Semifinal
(35 minutes later)
WIMBLEDON, England — In an age of Twitter and text messages, instant gratification and challenged attention spans, men’s tennis continues — despite all the ferocious currents to the contrary — to excel at long form. WIMBLEDON, England — In an age of twitter and text messages; of instant gratification and challenged attention spans, men’s tennis continues – despite all the ferocious currents to the contrary -- to excel at long form.
The marathon men were at it again on Friday, this time on Centre Court at Wimbledon in the sunlight, where yet another pair of powerful, evenly matched rivals relentlessly and good-naturedly sent each other scrambling, lunging, sprawling to every straight line and corner of the most famous patch of grass in the game.The marathon men were at it again on Friday, this time on Centre Court at Wimbledon in the sunlight, where yet another pair of powerful, evenly matched rivals relentlessly and good-naturedly sent each other scrambling, lunging, sprawling to every straight line and corner of the most famous patch of grass in the game.
“It was one of the best matches I have been a part of, one of the most exciting, definitely,” said the eventual winner Novak Djokovic. “It was one of the best matches I have been a part of; one of the most exciting, definitely,” said the eventual winner Novak Djokovic.
That is quite a statement considering how many keepsake matches Djokovic has lived, laughed and suffered through in recent years. That is well and truly quite a statement considering how many keepsake matches Djokovic has lived, laughed and suffered through in recent years.
He had already played two this year: his terrific, five-set victory over Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round of the Australian Open and the clay-court chef d’oeuvre of a French Open semifinal that ended up with Rafael Nadal celebrating and Djokovic ruing what might have been. He already had played two just this year: his terrific, high quality five-set victory over Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round of the Australian Open and the clay-court chef d’oeuvre of a French Open semifinal that ended up with Rafael Nadal celebrating and Djokovic ruing what might have been.
The 7-5, 4-5, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory over Juan Martín del Potro of Argentina rightfully joins the club. Friday’s 7-5, 4-5, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (6-8), victory over Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina now rightfully joins the club.
At 4 hours 43 minutes, it was the longest semifinal ever at Wimbledon, the oldest tournament in tennis, and yet it so rarely dragged, so rarely gave the crowd the slightest desire for a resolution even if their own Andy Murray was being delayed from taking the court. At four hours and 43 minutes, it was the longest semifinal in the history of Wimbledon, the oldest tournament in tennis, and yet it so rarely dragged; so rarely gave the crowd the slightest desire for resolution even if their own Andy Murray was being delayed from taking the court because of all this guts and brilliance on the full stretch.
They do have world-class wingspans, del Potro and Djokovic. Del Potro, at 6 feet 6 inches tall, can produce astounding and precisely controlled power from the corners, particularly his forehand corner, with one of his thunderous strokes late in the fourth set being clocked at 113 miles an hour and leaving Djokovic staring in disbelief at the spot where it had just landed. They do have world-class wingspans, Del Potro and Djokovic. Del Potro is 6-foot-6, or 1.98 meters, and can produce astounding and precisely controlled power from the corners, particularly his forehand corner, with one of his wunder-thunder-strokes late in the fourth set clocking in at 113 miles per hour and leaving Djokovic staring at the spot where it had just landed in disbelief.
But Djokovic, the game’s elastic man, repeatedly returned the favor: stretching into splits in the backcourt and the forecourt to transform del Potro’s apparent winners into extended rallies. But Djokovic, the game’s elastic man, repeatedly returned the favor: stretching into splits in the backcourt and the forecourt to transform Del Potro’s rightful winners into extended rallies.
“It was a really high-level match during four hours, hitting so hard the ball,” del Potro said, looking happier than one might have expected. “I think it was unbelievable to watch, but of course I’m sad because I was so close.” “It was a really high-level match during four hours, hitting so hard the ball,” Del Potro said, looking happier than one might have expected. “I think it was unbelievable to watch but of course I’m sad because I was so close.”
In truth, he was and he was not. Yes, del Potro lost a great first set. Yes, he had chances to take command of the third before losing it in a tiebreaker. And yes, above all, he bravely saved two match points in the fourth-set tiebreaker to extend the match. In truth, he was and he was not. Yes, Del Potro played and still lost a great first SET. Yes, he had chances to take command of the third SET before losing it in a tiebreaker. And yes, above all, he bravely saved two match points in the fourth-set tiebreaker to extend the match – quite deservedly – into a fifth set.
But Djokovic, one of the sport’s great managers of risk and reward, was never anywhere near the brink of defeat. But Djokovic, one of the sport’s great managers of risk and reward, was never anywhere near the brink of defeat, and he will now have a chance to win his second Wimbledon title against either Murray or Jery Janowicz, who were to play in Friday’s second semifinal.
“In the end I think he played unbelievable,” del Potro said. “I played my best tennis ever on grass court for a long time, but it was not enough to beat the No. 1 in the world.” “In the end I think he played unbelievable,” Del Potro said. “I played my best tennis ever on grasscourt for a long time, but it was not enough to beat the number one in the world.”
It is not as if the eighth-seeded del Potro did not know what it felt like to beat Djokovic on grass. Del Potro did it here at the All England Club just last year in the bronze-medal match in the Olympics, a best-of-three-set affair that contained all the emotion of a best-of-five. It is not as if the 8th-seeded Del Potro did not know HOW to beat Djokovic on grass. He did it here at the All England Club just last year in the bronze-medal match at the Olympics: a best-of-three set affair that contained all the emotion of best-of-five.
Del Potro then beat him again in the semifinals of the hardcourt event in Indian Wells, Calif., in March. Del Potro then beat him again in the semifinals of the prestigous hard-court event in Indian Wells in March.
But those results remain exceptions to the rule in their rivalry. Djokovic has won nine of their 12 matches and all four in Grand Slam tournaments. But those results remain exceptions to the rule in their rivalry. Djokovic has now won 9 of their 12 matches and has won all four of their matches in Grand Slam tournaments.
Djokovic has an edge in mobility, even if Del Potro moves remarkably well for man of his size. Djokovic has an edge in versatility, even if Del Potro can do plenty of damage in the forecourt as well as the backcourt. But even if Del Potro has the edge in raw, flat power, Djokovic also believed he had the edge on Friday in staying power.
“I have lost a long match in French Open just a few weeks ago. You can't win all the matches. But I know that when we get to the fifth set, when I play a top player at the later stages of a major event especially, this is where your physical strength but also mental ability to stay tough can, you know, decide the winner of that match.
“So, yes, I was disappointed that I didn’t finish the match before in fourth set. But knowing that I have a chance, more chance of staying longer in the rally with him, and just as the match goes on I felt like physically I'm fit and, you know, I can go a long way. So that's something that gave me that mental, probably, advantage. In the end I managed to prevail.”
The match became the longest Wimbledon semifinal very early in the fifth set, surpassing the 1989 semifinal here between Boris Becker and Ivan Lendl that lasted four hours and one minute. Both Becker and Lendl were on site on Friday; Becker as a BBC commentator and Lendl as Murray’s coach.
But for all their power and attention to training, they never played points as relentlessly physical as these. And though this was attacking (ital.)baseline(ital.) tennis on the court that was once a secular temple FOR the serve and volley style, it was hardly lacking in variety or net play.
Djokovic came to net 63 times and won 49 of the points when he did; Del Potro came to net 37 times and won 25 of the points when he did. But the real showcase shots were on or behind the baseline, where both players occasionally launched themselves into dives to try to get a racket on groundstrokes, just as Becker used to dive after volleys.
It was spectacular. It was grueling, but it was also surprisingly light-hearted at times with Del Potro producing the majority of the jokes: stopping to chat with the fans in the front rows after his defensive sprints left him within conversational range and even exchanging banter with Djokovic when another sprint led him to Djokovic’s side of the net.
“We tend to have these kind of interactions in the matches when we play against each other last few times. I have lots of respect for him. He's a very nice guy off the court also. We know each other for many years already. He's same generation. He’s a year younger.
“It's great, you know. The crowd enjoyed it so much. Yeah, he had some funny reaction. But, look, in the end of the day, we're playing this sport. Of course, you want to win when you're on the court, but you try to enjoy, you try to have fun. Sometimes that's also helping you to kind of release that stress because it's so much tension going on back and forth"
On Friday, there were so many magnificent strokes going back and forth, too. But then happily for long-form tennis fans, that is absolutely nothing new.