Novak Djokovic stands within one win of his third Wimbledon title after a 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over France’s Richard Gasquet, in a match he never looked in danger of losing. Victory in Sunday’s final would put him alongside John McEnroe and his coach, Boris Becker, in the list of men with three Wimbledon titles to their name – and the most impressive thing of all is that he has yet to play his best.
After the way Roger Federer played in beating Andy Murray, he might have to, but while the Swiss may have peaked one round too soon, there is still room for improvement in the defending champion’s game.
Five weeks after the crushing disappointment of losing to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open final, a result that stopped him from completing the career grand slam, Djokovic is back in another grand slam final, his 17th, and his fourth here in five years. Since coming from two sets down in the fourth round against the big-serving Kevin Anderson, he has not dropped a set and just as he did 12 months ago, when he also missed out in Paris, his mental fortitude looks rock solid.
“It was a very good performance, considering the occasion,” Djokovic said. “Richard had a great tournament, deserved to be in the semis and things could have gone his way in the first set. That was the turning point, for me. I’m just glad to be in another final. There will be a lot at stake but I’m going to be ready.”
Having beaten Wawrinka in the previous round, Gasquet had been trying to reach his first final here, revelling in the role of the underdog and hoping to catch the world No1 napping. Once he had lost the first-set tie-break 7-2, however, he never looked likely to turn it around against a man who is among the best frontrunners in the business. Early breaks in each of the three sets left him always playing catchup, and any time Gasquet had a glimmer of hope, Djokovic sent down a big serve, ripped a forehand winner or slipped a pass beyond the Frenchman’s reach.
Gasquet said afterwards that he had felt under pressure throughout because of the quality of the Djokovic return. “He never misses,” he said. “All the time, you serve, you serve. The ball is always on your side again. It’s very difficult. You never make so many aces. He doesn’t make unforced errors. Even from the baseline he’s playing fast with a lot of aggression and takes the ball early. That’s why he’s the world No1.”
The sickening thing for Gasquet, who will nevertheless move up seven places to No13 in the rankings, is that he was the better player in the opening set. Having dropped his opening service game, he broke back for 2-1 and at 4-4 missed a simple smash that would have put him 0-30 up. In the tie-break, two loose forehands gave Djokovic a 5-2 lead and he closed it out 7-2. The match was easy on the eye but there is a reason why Djokovic has lost to Gasquet only once, way back in 2007. With the exception of net play, the world No1 is slightly better in almost every element of the game, holding his own against the venomous Gasquet one-handed backhand, which drew gasps from the crowd on several occasions.
At this level, one shot is rarely enough and there was a sense of inevitability about the outcome. The 11-1 head-to-head record in Djokovic’s favour did not help but early breaks in each set meant the Frenchman was playing catchup, never able to relax as the Serb pinned him behind the baseline with the power of his serve and depth of his groundstrokes.
An exquisite backhand pass gave Djokovic the break for 2-0 in the second set and he saved two break points in the fourth game, holding the advantage throughout to double his lead, serving out the set from 15-30 with the help of two aces. In the third set, Gasquet slashed a backhand wide to give Djokovic another early break for 2-1 and, although the Frenchman saved two match points as he held for 4-5, Djokovic finished off with a ruthless love game.
Djokovic consulted the trainer twice over what he later said was a “stiff shoulder” but said it would not affect the outcome. What might help him, though, is the presence of Becker in his camp. The German, who was courtside for Federer-Murray, has proved a lot of doubters wrong, showing he has plenty to offer as a top-level coach.
“It’s about the mental approach, especially when you’re in the big tournaments and facing different adversities,” Djokovic said. “Especially in the later stages of grand slams, where things are getting tougher, that’s where I think his contribution is biggest for me and the team. It’s been an honour for me to have him in my team.”
When Djokovic beat Federer to win his second title here 12 months ago, he was the villain of the crowd and he is ready for the same treatment again. “It’s the finals of Wimbledon and the most important match any tennis player can have,” he said. “I am going to get prepared for whatever is [awaiting] me on the court. It’s not the first time I’ll have had this feeling and I’ll try to use this experience in the past to help me this time.”
