Amélie Mauresmo, who understands the pressure of meeting high expectations in Paris better than most, senses a certain tightness in Novak Djokovic’s tennis as he prepares for the one major prize that has eluded him, the French Open title.
“He is very tense there, very tense,” Andy Murray’s French coach said in her own language – “tendu” – shortly after Djokovic had completed their extended semi-final on Saturday by winning the fifth set with an ace to seal it 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1. It took four hours and nine minutes in all, the last one and a half sets lasting an hour, after they had resumed at 3-3 in the fourth.
The world No1 plays Stan Wawrinka on Sunday and said: “It wasn’t physically an easy match, that’s for sure. But I think I will be fine for the finals. Whatever I have left in me I will put out on the court tomorrow. Hopefully it can be enough.”
Mauresmo said: “It is therefore going to be interesting to see how tomorrow will go. Everyone sees it – in his attitude, in his shots. But it is [understandable].”
If the camaraderie that once existed between Murray and Djokovic has faded under the strain of their rivalry, Mauresmo is not concerned. Her job is to get Murray in the best possible shape to break a losing sequence against him that has now extended to eight matches.
“Between the end of last night and the start today, Andy showed some really good things in his play and his attitude,” she said. “There are a lot of positives to take from that. To come back from two sets down is not easy, especially against Djokovic. He [Murray] played a bad game to get broken at the start of the fifth set and then it is difficult to come back.
“Novak definitely played a great fifth set, very aggressive, taking his chances going forward. But, as I said before the match, you don’t get that many [opportunities] against Novak and you have to perform well in those moments. Yes, it was close at the beginning of that fifth set, but he didn’t make it. Then he couldn’t find himself in another good position to make the difference.
“[There is] Disappointment right now, but good, positive things too. He is going to get on a surface that suits him and that he likes. All surfaces are suiting him pretty well. After a couple of days of rest, he will look forward to that.”
Mauresmo, who is due to give birth to her first child in August, says she will decide soon if she will be with Murray at Wimbledon.
Djokovic, meanwhile, has the challenge of dealing with a revived and confident Wawrinka. The Swiss has struggled for consistency since winning the Australian Open last year, and the recent break-up of his marriage cannot have helped his equanimity here.
None of that will concern Djokovic, who needs the French title to keep alive his ambition of doing the calendar slam. He beat Murray in Melbourne, should be too strong for Wawrinka here, then will have to lift himself again for Wimbledon before resting in advance of the US Open in September.
It is some schedule. “I think I’m in the form of my life,” he said. “And this is the title that I want the most.”
Wawrinka won’t be there as secondary dancing partner. He has his hunger back. “He’s been amazing so far this year,” the Swiss said. “Winning every big title, playing his best tennis ever – as he said. But, again, he has never won the French Open.
“For sure, we are both gonna be nervous. That’s a fact. Maybe he’s gonna play his best tennis and beat me in straight sets. We played four years ago on clay, in Rome, 2011, when he was winning almost everything [he won then, too, as he has seven other times against him on clay].
“It could be really interesting. I know that he’s not always happy to play me when I can play my game. When I can play my aggressive game, he’s not feeling his best, normally.”
