So there we go. Murray is fantastic, but Djokovic is elastic.
Thanks all for your company and comments - bye.
Updated
Djokovic slips into English for Andy’s benefit, talking of “very special moments we’ve shared ... I’m sure I’ll be seeing you with big trophies in the future ... I know how much work you guys put in .. he’s one of the most dedicated guys on the tour.
My family, my team, thank you so much for tolerating everything on a daily basis. There’s plenty of things I can talk about til tomorrow ... but thank you so much for being able to manage me.”
Murray apologises for his lack of French, and hanks his team and the crowd - the latter weren’t behind him, but competitor that he is, he loves it anyway. Then he thanks the ballkids, grounds staff and umpires, congratulates Novak’s team, and then congratulates Novak - “what he’s achieved is phenomenal ... It’s not happened for an extremely long time and it’s going to take an extremely long time for it to happen again... obviously it sucks to lose the match ... I’m proud to have been part of today.”
Djokovic is wearing the ecstatic, slightly bemused look of someone experiencing the might of chemistry. It’s actually quite weird to contemplate how well he contrived to play this afternoon.
Apparently not; where’s Hazel Irvine when you need her?
He holds his tray aloft to cheers and applause - no doubt there’ll be someone along in a sec to see if they can make him cry.
Updated
Here comes Ondee Muhraye...
It’s time for the presentation.
So, how does Murray go about sustaining his level? At his best he can compete, but he can’t sustain that best for long enough. Is it physical, mental or both?
Still, he’s still improving and has time yet.
Updated
Djokovic now has 12 slams to his name, and there really is a very good chance he’ll end with more than Federer’s 17. He’s basically a better version of his nearest rival and was barely bothered when he went behind today; basically, he’s forgotten how to lose.
Updated
Djokovic says it’s the best moment of his career, and that it’s nice to see the sun.
And poor Andy Murray just has to sit and watch while he laps it up. Perhaps if he’d taken that break point in the second set ... he’d still have been beaten. But if only he’d managed to play in the third set the way he played at the end of the fourth.
Djokovic draws a heart in the clay and Gustavo Kuerten, whose trademark he asked permission to borrow, wipes a tear from his eye. This is quite ridiculous achievement, and what’s incredible about it is the manner in which he played to clinch it. A set down to the closest man to him? No problem. He has absolutely wiped Murray off the court with a devastating display of power, touch, consistency and heart; we are privileged to be living in his time.
Updated
We may never see this again. <Insert succession of expletives here>
GAME SET AND MATCH! NOVAK DJOKOVIC WINS THE FRENCH OPEN! NOVAK DJOKOVIC HOLDS ALL FOUR GRAND SLAM TITLES! EXPERIENCE HISTORY! THIS IS HISTORY!
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6 Djokovic*
A long rally and Murray nets a backhand!
Updated
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 4-5 Djokovic*
A clean-up forehand volley sets up another championship point! Advantage - every advantage - Djokovic!
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 4-5 Djokovic*
Murray sends a backhand cross-court, and Djokovic is wide with his down the line response! Deuce!
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 4-5 Djokovic*
Double-fault! 40-30!
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 4-5 Djokovic*
Djokovic is playing to the crowd now as Murray goes for a lob off the baseline and it’s long! Two match points!
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 4-5 Djokovic*
And Djokovic does it again! Murray plays another lovely drop-shot, only for Djokovic to glide into another response, bacon slices across the net. 30-15.
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 4-5 Djokovic*
Again there’s a chance for Murray on the backhand, but with the court open down the line, he hits the net. 15-15.
Updated
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 4-5 Djokovic*
Djokovic dictates the rally but then Murray puts everything into a backhand cross-court, and it’s enough! 0-15.
Fourth set: *Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 4-5 Djokovic Djokovic isn’t having this, he is not having it at all, and a backhand down the line forces Murray to simply get the ball back into play. He does, and Djokovic does. But Murray responds as the crowd get behind him, a big serve unlocking the point, and then another forces Djokovic to net. Murray has found some consistency now! His service and forehand are firing and the pair combine to give him game point, but Djokovic isn’t letting him off the hook that easily, taking him to 40-30 and walloping a second serve. But Murray absolutely bases a backhand winner, and Djokovic will serve for it a second time - now in the knowledge that he might fail, and that Murray will be at him.
Updated
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 3-5 Djokovic*
And Murray gets a break back! The serve is good enough and the return is short, but Djokovic doesn’t do enough off the ground and Murray crunches a backhand cross-court pass into the corner.
Updated
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 2-5 Djokovic*
Double-fault. 15-40.
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 2-5 Djokovic*
Superb point from Murray, sending Djokovic nashing into the corners, finishing the point with a huge backhand. 15-30.
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 2-5 Djokovic*
Murray chases a drop-shot and with back and side, but somehow, Murray flicks it across the net. 15-all.
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 2-5 Djokovic*
Service out wide to the forehand, venomous backhand into the corner. 15-0.
Fourth set: *Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 2-5 Djokovic Murray constructs a beautiful point, then goes long with the forehand winner he’s set up for himself. And it gets worse, when a decent serve simply allows Djokovic to find the line with backhand winner. Murray then goes wide with a improbable backhand down the line, around the net and back down the line, and he’s three double-break points down. You know what happens next. You know what happens next! Djokovic directs Murray around the court, then bangs a forehand down the line, and HE WILL SERVE FOR THE GRAND SLAM! THIS IS BRUTAL AND BEAUTIFUL!
Updated
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 2-4 Djokovic* Djokovic is basically squatting in Murray’s mind - he is Murray’s mind - and knows what he’s about to do before Murray even knows it himself. He holds to love, and has condeded just one point on serve this set.
“The sad part of today, for British fans, is that Murray is actually playing incredibly well,” emails David Keech. “So we’ll in fact that he would have won today against any other player on the planet even Nadal. Against Djokovic he doesn’t even stand a chance despite winning the first set.”
Hmm - I semi-agree. He played well for a set and a half, but hasn’t played well since. In part, that’s due to Djokovic’s brilliance, but Murray should also be capable of serving better.
Fourth set: *Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 2-3 Djokovic Murray plays a perfect point, serving well, picking up well - and then missing his volley. But he levels at 15-all, before Djokovic out-thinks him at the net, ridiculing every question Murray can ask.
They end up at deuce, and yet another second serve is handled - Murray has won 35% of second-serve points, Djokovic 61% - but Murray fights hard, setting up a forehand cross-court winner with a drop-shot. This isn’t like the Australian Open where it became too much; not that Djokovic isn’t too much, he’s way too much; but Murray isn’t letting it go, and hangs on again.
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 1-3 Djokovic* Murray is dancing on his mark as Djokovic loads up, but he can’t get his returns going even off the second serve. A hold to love.
Fourth set: *Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 1-2 Djokovic Murray must win this game to have any realistic hope of competing. And he’s quickly 0-15- down, before Djokovic misses a forehand to induced a world of double-takes. Murray doesn’t let it distract him but, moving to 40-30 before going long on the forehand; he then finds an excellent serve out wide and is there to meet the return - but Djokovic slides into another wondrous passing shot for deuce. Not sure his feet are touching the clay, here; certain they’re not in his mind.
But Murray responds, earning game point before belting a forehand wide and re-establishing the advantage with an overhead. He’s actually playing a little better now, and when Djokovic goes long he pumps his fist and reasons with himself on the way back to the chair.
Updated
Fourth set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 0-2 Djokovic* Djokovic is flying now - he knows he’s home much as he’ll be ordering himself to the contrary. He loses a point and laughs, not even ruefully - never mind, there’ll be another along in a second. And there is! He was right! Murray just can’t affect the rallies at the moment - if he goes for it, he misses; if he doesn’t, Djokovic does and doesn’t. Break cemented. Murray cemented.
Updated
Fourth set: *Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-6 Djokovic So, what does Murray have? He desperately needs to find that first serve, and if he could stumble across that forehand, so much the better. But has he got the energy and the belief? He certainly doesn’t have the footwear. loses the first point of the set - and the second! Oh my days! Novak Djokovic is unbelievable, untenable and unique! Murray pounds a backhand cross-court, Djokovic forces it back, and Murray feathers a drop-shot to win the point. Except he doesn’t, because Djokovic not only reaches it but plays another winner - and that has been the standout aspect of a standout performance - the way he’s turned winners for Murray into winners for himself. And, sure enough, he breaks. This is terrifying stuff - the way the best player in the world can dissect the second-best player in the world, and from a set down, too - it’s a bit like this:
Updated
Djokovic wins the third set 6-2 to lead by two sets to one!
Third set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-5 Djokovic* Djokovic serves Murray a steaming hot steamer of own medicine and revenge, a lazy backhand-slice drop-shot giving him 15-0. Quickly, it’s 30-0, before Murray steps in on a second serve - but can’t nail his return, a forehand towards his feet forcing him to net - perhaps it was the state of those hiking boots he’s wearing. But Djokovic teases him by letting go two points in a row, a long backhand, and there we have it! Djokovic has somehow played a set of tennis simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary, boring and fascinating, predictable and shocking.
Updated
Third set: *Murray 6-3, 1-6, 2-5 Djokovic So, does Murray let this go and regroup? Or does he do everything possible to make Djokovic serve for it, so he serves first in the final fourth set. Djokovic is no so confident he can even applaud Murray’s good shots - as he does following the monstrous forehand cross-court that gives him 40-0. Murray will love such a gracious and heartfelt show of sportsmanship, I’m certain. Murray wins the game to 15, and Djokovic will shortly return to remind us once again of the awesome danger posed by sentient robots.
Updated
Third set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 1-5 Djokovic* It’s not just Djokovic’s ability to play tennis like this, but that he can do so after Murray played tennis like that. The oblivious certainty is just outrageous. Murray, though, opens the game with a backhand slice of halfarsed genius, subsequently missing a forehand to end a rally he was controlling. He wins the next point, though, and suddenly conviction is rediscovered, a thunderous return eventually forcing Djokovic to go long with a lob; two break points Murray! But Djokovic’s eyes are doing all sorts; he’s absolutely gone, here, he’s buzzing so hard I can hear him in London, and he smacks a backhand winner down the line that wasn’t remotely on then cleans up a short one from Murray at the net.
Djokovic then misses with a first serve and Murray attacks the second, only to be punished immediately thereafter by an ace. But even if he loses this game, there’ve been signs that he can still trouble Djokovic, and he quickly arranges a third break point, clipping the top of the net with a backhand return. Deuce again.
Murray goes wide with a backhand, and he’s looking increasingly rueful and resigned when things go against him; Djokovic, meanwhile, looks feral. But Murray attacks again, so we’re back to deuce again, but Murray goes long and cedes another advantage. And the thing is, this game isn’t even crucial - but Djokovic wins it nonetheless, when Murray goes long with a forehand return.
Third set: *Murray 6-3, 1-6, 1-4 Djokovic Murray is starting to detest tennis, existence and the world; he didn’t ask to be born. Djokovic doesn’t have to play that well to get to 15-40, but a much better point from Murray, taking the initiative and going for his forehand, saves one break point. But he can’t save the second! A drop shot brings Djokovic in, and yet another of those staggeringly delicate responses almost rolling along the top of the net as good as wins him the third set! This is so, so good.
Keech emails the following ludicrousness: “To get an idea of quite how good Dorkovic is he is not only #1 in the world but #2 and #3 as well! If you add up Murray and Federer’s ranking points, #3 they still don’t add up to Djokovic’s!”
Third set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 1-3 Djokovic* Murray needs to locate something from somewhere; he may lose the set, but he needs to stop this roll before it flattens him. Djokovic is so in the zone he’s booked in for b&b; maybe Murray can induce him to glance aggressively at a line-judge, or employ telekinesis to get the racket hurled at one. But Murray is still trying traditional methods, and more amazing defence takes him to 15-30; Djokovic then wins the next two points in short order before a rushed backhand gives him the game. Murray can hear the music...
Third set: *Murray 6-3, 1-6, 1-2 Djokovic The court is playing a bit quicker now, which is helping Djokovic’s rhythm. And though Murray wins the first point of the game, Djokovic is bossing the rallies now, soon taking a 30-15 lead. And a drop-shot holds up for him to race to the net and crunch a top-spin forehand cross-court; two break points, and in all probability the match, the title and the grand slam are on the line here. What does Murray have for him?
Murray turns up the forehand and Djokovic goes long in response; one saved. Then a brilliant service but Djokovic stays in the point, then a brilliant forehand but Djokovic stays in the point, and Murray nets his volley! Brilliant, brilliant behaviour from Djokovic! What a ridiculous individual he is!
Third set: Murray 6-3, 1-6, 1-1 Djokovic* Novak Djokovic! He nashes after a drop-shot and somehow stretches both hands - both hands! - to guide a backhand along the line of the net. His dexterity is robbing Murray of a major tactic here, but Murray hangs in there to reach 30-all and a mini-chance. Naturally, Djokovic responds with an ace, so Murray shouts at himself before aiming a superb return to another superb serve right into the backhand corner. It elicits the error, and that’s deuce.
Djokovic, who’s done a lot less running than Murray these last two weeks, takes the middle of the court and sends his man scurrying right and left, prompting an error. And how does he make Murray pay! After creating the chance for a passing shot but picking wrong and hitting straight at Murray, he straight murders a forehand winner.
Updated
Third set: *Murray 6-3, 1-6, 1-0 Djokovic Mats explains that Murray is now playing this like it’s a hard court match, hanging in the rallies instead of trying to win them. On the other hand, you can only bask in awe, fear an inadequacy at quite how good Djokovic is; we’re privileged to be living in his time. And he runs Murray’s knackers off here, though at 30-all can’t take advantage of a succession of short backhands before Murray finally punishes a winner and service winner. He lets out a yelp, because he knows how important that was.
Novak Djokovic wins the second set!
Second set: Murray 6-3, 1-6 Djokovic* Djokovic is djokovicing, and there’s not much Murray - or any other of the seven billion people on the planet - can do about it. No disgrace there, Andy - except his standards aren’t congruent with outs, and he fights to 30-15 before an elliptical forehand running down the top of the net brings up two set points, the first one taken with a wiggly serve down the middle. Brilliant! The first set took 48 minutes, the second just 33...
Second set: *Murray 6-3, 1-5 Djokovic A sapping, brute of a rally to open the game, won by Murray, before Djokovic pastes a backhand winner down the line and inches ahead by winning the next point too. Murray then tries a drop-shotand it’s a goodun, but from close to the pole, Djokovic flips a crosscourt forehand of absurd beauty along the tape! And he wins the next point too, with another backhand down the line!
Meanwhile, email with Izzy Collins:
“1. Has Murray forgotten to pack his P.E kit? Did they make him get dressed with clothing from the lost property box?
2. Hummus is definitely a dip. You do however need sturdy crisps, or they will disintegrate.
3. My Fruit & Nut is melting in the heat of the car. Any tips?”
- You have to admire what a sight he’s not arsed about looking.
- But must you finish it if you’re going to di into it?
- Is that rhyming slang?
Second set: Murray 6-3, 1-4 Djokovic* Djokovic is serving well now, and races to 40-0 before offering another drop-shot for the net to gobble. If he escapes these first two sets without a deficit he’ll seriously fancy himself - Murray will have played more or less as well as he can, but will have no advantage to show for it.
“We’re 7 hours ahead here in China and I have to get up at 5 to beat the Beijing traffic,” emails the suddenly unwell Paul Kaye. “Finish it in 3, please, Andy.”
Updated
Second set: *Murray 6-3, 1-3 Djokovic There’s movement with your wolves, your leopards and your young lions; Djokovic is taking the ball higher and earlier, and Murray’s level has dropped. He’s quickly 0-30 down, but responds with a service winner before a forehand goes long. Djokovic has two points for the double-break, having won 14 of the last 20 points; Murray saves one with a beautiful forehand caressed down the line with vicious power. And he saves another, too! But Djokovic is deeply compliant here, dominating the rally before opening the court for any semblance of sensible forehand only to offer a nonsense drop-shot instead. Murray then closes out the game, and will fancy himself to absorb the momentum.
Second set: Murray 6-3, 0-3 Djokovic* So far, Murray has made two unforced errors, Djokovic ten. In other news, a wolf has been spotted spooning a lamb, a leopard cuddling a kid and a young lion stroking a fatling; the group is presided upon by a little child. Easy hold for Djokovic.
Updated
Second set: *Murray 6-3, 0-2 Djokovic Djokovic is lower over the net all of a sudden, and wins a long rally for what seems like the first time to give himself a lead at 0-30. Murray responds superbly though, a swinging serve out wide with a nasty forehand behind it - but then slices a drop-shot into the net, and that’s two break points to Djokovic! Murray bounces the ball very deliberately then serves into the net, but what a second serve - ! - foxing Djokovic by going down the middle and eliciting a long return. But a double-fault ruins the hard work; could that be the momentum switch Djokovic has been after since the first game of the match?
Updated
Second set: Murray 6-3, 0-1 Djokovic* So, will Djokovic improve on the forehand? Will he hurry Murray? Will Murray continue playing this well? Well, the game proceeds as we’ve come to expect, getting to deuce, and then Murray plays a quite ridiculous point, Djokovic finding that forehand but Murray resisting with every fibre and cell before paggaing a backhand cross-court to set up break point. Djokovic puts it right back on him, though, saving it and hurling down a service winner, cementing game point with another well-placed effort out wide that Murray nets.
“It really is exhausting just watching these two play,” emails Simon McMahon. “I’m reminded though of Murray’s response when asked I think in New York about what his mum must feel like watching him play. ‘Don’t care, it’s much harder for me, I have to actually play the matches’ was the gist of his reply. How can you not like Andy Murray?”
I think it was after the semi of the Wimbledon that he won, but the sentiment is spot-on. Another personal favourite line:
“I don’t really tell jokes, I’m more into picking on and exploiting people’s weaknesses.”
Updated
Murray wins the first set, 6-3!
First set: *Murray 6-3 Djokovic Brilliant start to the game from Murray, a stop volley leaving Djokovic inclining nose towards clay. Then controversy, when Murray serves a fault followed by a winner - it’s called out but the umpire overrules and leaves his chair to show Djokovic that the mark is different to the one he’s indicating it made. And he’s given Murray the point! Djokovic is in a right old paddy, saying the call affected his focus, and the crowd are jeering away too, but Murray remains two points from the set. And there’s one of them!
Next, a long rally, but dominated by Murray’s forehand which is in superb order, and he has three set points; naturally, there follows a double-fault. And Djokovic then annihilates a forehand winner to set nerves a-jinglin’ an a-janglin’, but Murray responds: serve down the middle, nondescript return, punishing forehand, long forehand, and there we have it!
Updated
First set: *Murray 5-3 Djokovic Mats reckons Djokovic is more or less letting this set go trying to play himself into form, and four short points have us as 30-all. He dictates the next point, though, despite a ridiculous backhand slice from Murray that zones over the net spitting menace; he’s there to collect it and puts away a volley, then seals the game with a big serve and pick-up. murray will have to serve for it.
Updated
First set: *Murray 5-2 Djokovic Djokovic is into this now, hitting the ball harder, more cleanly, and with greater confidence. It only gets him to 30-15, though, and then Murray absolutely dematerialises a first serve down the middle - he’s 65% on first serve so far - but he wins the next two points, making deuce. Murray, whose looping forehand down the line was called out, then busies himself with the behaviour of someone moving in his eyeline. Murray then brings up game point, loses it, loses it with the French journo infiltrating his box, snaffles another game point, then hits a backhand into the net; what a crucial passage this already is!
And there’s Murray with an ace down the middle! He’s tossing them lower, apparently, which is allowing him to generate greater power - and there’s another absolute banger! Djokovic will serve to stay in the first set!
“Hopeless coverage from French TV,” tweets Gary Naylor. “Where are the cutaways to Kim screaming, ‘C’mon Andy!’ every single bloody point.”
It is a little known fact that she has, so far, spent 3 years and 11 month clapping, wearing through 68 pais of palms.
Updated
First set: *Murray 4-2 Djokovic Djokovic wins the first two points of the game easily, and it looks like his forehand’s back. But Murray is more easily able to defend it on clay than hard, and after two gets of intermediate difficulty, Djokovic goes long - and then wide! This is quite incredible, given the disquieting nature of usual consistency, but he responds well, sending Murray hither and yon before finishing the point with a second overhead. But imagine the ferocity of his chortling when Murray profits from a netcord to make deuce! A true Biggus Dickus moment.
Murray then overcooks a forehand, and another gives Djokovic his first game since the first of the match.
“These two have form for incredibly long matches, and with clay being the surface that traditionally has longer points, what time do you think the trophy will finally be presented?” asks David Wall. “They do know that the last episode of Branagh’s Wallander starts at 9 tonight, don’t they?”
First set: *Murray 4-1 Djokovic At 15-all, Djokovic advances on a half-court backhand to manhandle a top-spin forehand into the corner. But he hits the top of the net and suddenly a flash of temper clouds his face. Nor is he any happier when Murray lumps a forehand winner into the corner, backed up with a service winner. Four games in a row for murray; I said he was in the groove; much more of this and we’ll have to assume he’s in the zone.
First set: Murray 3-1 Djokovic* The game opens with a frantically brilliant rally, the tide turning when Murray paces after a forehand and turns up the power to paste one cross-court; a few shots and an umpire check later, and it’s 0-15. Crivens, then he steps right in on a second serve and clambers into it like a monster, rattling a forehand winner to 0-30; his needle is hitting the groove. But after another long rally, Djokovic hauls him from way behind the baseline with a drop shot - he nearly makes it, but clips the top of the net. I believe modern sporting parlance calls this “unlucky”. Murray, though will not be denied, bringing up another break point, and then, when Djokovic goes long, he has the break! What a response to losing his serve to love in the first game!
Updated
Andy Murray breaks back immediately with this outrageous lob! #FrenchOpenFinal https://t.co/QogP5mRd31
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) June 5, 2016
First set: *Murray 2-1 Djokovic Already this has the signs of a classic. Both players are blasting seven shades out of the ball, but with all their usual finesse and brainpower. Murray holds to love, and will feel much happier with life than he did five minutes ago. How do you even cope with that emotionally?
First set: Murray 1-1 Djokovic* Murray is right back in it, winning the first two points of the game. The second, in particular, is interesting - he comes in off a drop shot, daring the pass, and strikes a blow when it’s wide. Then a murderous forehand return sets up the next rally, and Djokovic nets; three break points.
Djokovic saves the first with safe first serve that facilitates a severe forehand and smash combo; the second with an ace; and wow! What behaviour that is! Murray slices a drop wide to the forehand, then a backhand lob seals the breakback. What a start!
Meanwhile, on Twitter, Mercer puts his fingers into the crux of the, er, hummus debate:
“It’s a dip, but permissibility of dipping depends on likelihood of dipped object to snap/crumble within.”
So fingers are ok but crackers are not?
Updated
First set: *Murray 0-1 Djokovic What a point from Djokovic first up! They slug the ever-loving everything out of it from the baseline, before a backhand slice drop-shot is far too good, swerving away from Murray’s forehand. And he consolidates with a much shorter point; 0-30, and Murray’s first test. Oh I say! Not one to idly chuck in so early, but another beautiful drop shot draws Murray in - he makes it this time - but the court is open for Djokovic to clean up, which he does with minimum fuss and maximum prejudice. And there it is! Murray goes long and Djokovic breaks to love!
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And play!
“There are now 23 people gathered in my living room,” emails Phoenix Addams. “Hoping we will, together, witness Andy Murray make history today! Let’s pray the pressure of this entire nation doesn’t get to him though!”
I’d say he’s long since over that - and that the pressure he puts on himself outweighs it by some distance. He’ll know this is a huge chance; can he seize it?
Point to ponder/settle a domestic dispute: is hummus a dip or a spread? And, assuming it’s the former, is one permitted to dangle things into it, rather than use a knife?
Updated
Boris Becker’s hair clashes with his tracky top, but he appears to know a thing or two about coaching. I wonder if he, Murray and Federer have started a new trend in terms of employing great players to coach them.
Murray wins the toss, and will serve. They post for pictures - Djokovic with hoverhands, Murray not. Wonder if he was giving it the old bionic finger pressure point shitck.
Updated
Djokovic is amazingly relaxed and doing everything in his gift to affect amazing relaxation, holding hands with the ball girl and encouraging her to wave with him.
Murray straps his cap on, grabs his bag, shares a round of safes with team, and they’re ready to come out. The camera shares a long, lingering close-up of his spoddy trainers, and here they are!
Murray’s interview:
“This is what tennis is all about.”
“Yes.”
Djokovic is stretching - apparently he’s more or less addicted. Waiting for cabs, food, whatever - he’s calibrating that frankly absurd suppleness that underpins his absurd tennising.
EN DIRECT sur #Periscope : WATCH: Andy and Novak, seconds before walking on Chatrier. #RG16 https://t.co/Yk6Skrayc5
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2016
BREAKING NEWS: the start of the match is important.
Of course, Murray recently beat Djokovic in Rome. Here’s Calvin Betton again: “Give Muzz 20% chance. Wouldn’t read much into his win the other week - Djokovic was knackered.”
It’s all kicking off in Beijing!
Beijing is ready for the start of #RG16 Finals! #RolandGarros #rg16live pic.twitter.com/tBB6Rghh7m
— Sina Sports (@SinasportsChina) June 5, 2016
Email! “ If Murray wins today he joins the legends of the game,” reckons Simon McMahon. “And if that happens, you can throw away your tennis history books, cos they’ll have to be rewritten. COME ON ANDY, LETS DO THIS!!!”
There’s also, of course, the proximity of this competition to Wimbledon; you’d not bet against the winner here adding that one, there. In 17 hours time, things could look very different, or even more the same (yes, and very unique).
He also says that Murray is a different proposition on clay these days and “definitely one of the best players on the world in this surface ... it’s going to be a physical battle, we know.” I’m exhausted even thinking about it.
“It’s been a great tournament,” revelates Djokovic. “I managed to elevate my level in the quarter and semi-finals.” He is staggeringly, chillingly self-possessed.
And here’s Kevin Mitchell on Murray.
I think it was me who said dept: why Andy Murray is one of the world’s coolest sports stars.
He also explains that he’s done a lot of work on his flexibility on clay, and hopes it’ll be a good game. Seriously!
Murray looks superbly dishevelled and scruffy in his pre-match interview; what a man. He’s happy to be in the final, would you believe.
Is there a difference between a “great player” and a “great matchplayer”? I mean, really?
It’s more humid today, we’re told, and also that in practice, Murray was having balls dropped short for him to advance onto, and also drilling is first shot and first strike thereafter.
Given we’re in Paris, your rig-out latest: Greg Rusedski has his top button done up; Jamie Goodall appears to have every button undone.
Andy Murray is now one of only ten players to have reached the final of every slam.
“This weekend we lost a sporting legend. Today, the gloves are off to find a new Roland Garros champion.”
Pick that segue out!
More insight, courtesy of @CalvBetton, tennis coach. “The only way anyone can beat a bothered Djokovic is by repeatedly hitting clean winners. When it hits the fan, he’s better than anyone else at getting balls back into court, locking down himself and not making errors.
Murray has got the power and technique on the backhand side but less so on the forehand, where his technique is ropey (he can’t go down the line on it because it’s too ‘circular’). Whether Muzz has got the mindset to close it out doing that I don’t know - it’s against his natural style, and when he goes for it on the forehand, it can get a bit wild and inconsistent. He also needs a high first serve percentage because Djokovic will slaughter his 2nd serve.”
Updated
Mats Wilander reckons Murray can win, and who are we to argue with that level of suave? He explains that Djokovic is brilliant going side-to-side, as one has to do on hard courts, but clay is more about backwards and forwards, and he doesn’t have the bodyweight to hit with requisite power. So he makes Murray his tennising favourite and Djokovic his mental favourite.
Preamble
That a day or a moment can change a life is a common trope used by literature to mislead us. After careful and painstaking research, it is understood that we cannot, in fact, relieve the crushing tedium of existence simply by walking through a wardrobe, losing a cat or eating an apple.
So we proceed along an uphill treadmill of the almost-same, encumbered and alienated by the twin hazards of ourselves and other people. Sustaining us is the hope that if we suffer hard enough for long enough, something good will gradually arise and we can grouse about that instead.
Sport, on the other hand, is different - even tennis, surely the most gruelling and least fun to be good at. Incessant schlepping, incomprehensible exertion and hallucinatory repetition, yes, but bringing a level of intensity and transcendence that is slightly different to the nose-picking and toilet trips the rest of us depend on for sensory pleasure.
Today might change Andy Murray. We already know that he is a brilliant tennis player - and, as a consequence, have discovered an excellent man unaffected by the pretence and egomania that is an understandable consequence of talent, wealth and intrusion.
But if he can win today, immediately he’s something different, not just great but a great. It’s true that he’d only be one slam ahead of Lleyton Hewitt and one behind Jim Courier, but numbers mean nothing without context.
We hear a lot about luck in sport - usually it is simply a polite term for incompetence. But it is both Murray’s wondrous and appalling fortune that saw him straddle the Federer, Federer-Nadal and Djokovic eras. Tennis has never been anywhere near such standard - perhaps no sport has - so, even more so than usual, winning cannot be summarised by counting. Numbers are functional, feelings are eternal.
If Murray can take a slam on the clay - something Sampras and Edberg couldn’t, likewise Djokovic until now - that’d make him one of very few players to have mastered all surfaces. Agassi won one French Open, Federer has one too.
And he is ready; his has been a classic passage to the final. Sketchy to begin with, solid in the middle and tested but outstanding thereafter, he has improved in every round and could not be in better shape.
He is also a significant underdog: Djokovic has monstered him in the last two Australian finals and is amazingly, chillingly confident in the match-up. But this puts him under pressure, expected to win and chasing not only a career slam but a Grand Slam, the first since Rod Laver in 1969. An opportunity like this may never come to him again.
Whatever happens, this is going to be epochal.
Play: 2pm BST
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