“Andy ‘Guy Smiley’ Murray? Hopefully he will be tomorrow,” says Sesame Street lover extraordinaire Simon McMahon, who is the only one playing this game. It gives me a hook from which to say adieu though, as I should remind you to tune back in tomorrow for that Murray v Federer tussle, which will hopefully be higher on the drama than anything we saw today. There is Nishikori v Raonic before that one, too. Thanks for your company, and goodnight to you.
So how do you beat a player in this mood? What an odd match that was, with Wawrinka starting so well and looking ready for – at least – the long haul. But after those two games (remember, Wawrinka was 2-0 up in the first), he did not get a sniff. Not. A. Sniff. The writing looked on the wall after the first set, but you couldn’t necessarily see a 6-0 coming. Djokovic, hitting and moving so easily, assumed total control though and was aided by an opponent who just seemed to lose his head after seeing his early advantage slip. But when you’re up against someone of this simply remarkable quality, it must be hard to keep it all together. In the end it was crazily easy for the Serb, who is right at the top of his game here in London.
Djokovic talks: “I played a great match, no question about it. The opening two or three games were quite long and he started really well, but I managed to get back into the first set. He made quite a few unforced errors and it wasn’t his day, he wasn’t close to his best. But I executed what I wanted to do very well.”
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Djokovic wins 6-3, 6-0!
Second set: Djokovic 6-0 Wawrinka The Swiss misses yet again on the first point and you rather suspect he just wants this over with now. But he digs into the next rally and Djokovic nets. On the next point, a wonderfully sharp, jabbed volley brings up 30-15. Two points from an early night. Another commanding point sees Wawrinka pushed further and further back before being put away – two match points now! And the first is converted! A delightful, clean forehand down the line and that’s it. Djokovic has absolutely demolished Wawrinka here, technically and mentally. Sensational.
Second set: Djokovic 6-3 5-0 Wawrinka* Two misses from Wawrinka, who is being taken apart but has contributed to his own downfall too. Another horrible skew and it’s 0-40. He just cannot do a thing here; he’s gone. On the second break point, Djokovic goes 5-0 up. Wow.
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Second set: Djokovic* 6-3 4-0 Wawrinka This is surgical from Djokovic, who begins with a perfect, right-on-the-line forehand and then moves his opponent around before putting down a volley. His mistakes are becoming oases in a parched desert for Wawrinka but he does then make two, greeted by hopeful-sounding cheers from a crowd that doesn’t want to go home just yet. But I’m afraid they’ll probably be off soonish; no more errors in this one and Djokovic wins the next two, a drop shot doing the trick at the end.
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Second set: Djokovic 6-3 3-0 Wawrinka* Everything is coming off for the Serb now – this time another drop-shot. Wawrinka just looks shot to bits, and dribbles a poor forehand into the net for 0-30. Then to 0-40 and yet another three break points. Djokovic only needs one. Wawrinka just cannot stay in these rallies and goes well wide again. This is turning into a procession, and it really didn’t seem as if we were in for one of those after two games.
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Second set: Djokovic* 6-3 2-0 Wawrinka We start with the point of the match, as Djokovic radars a cross-court forehand which is well retrieved but finds impossible suppleness to flick the resulting ball out of his opponent’s reach. The crowd are on their feet and rightly so. Soon enough, it’s 40-15. Djokovic is finding some incredible angles here, particularly with the backhand, and it all just looks so easy. A luscious backhand slice sets up the decisive point on this one; he’s bang on form and it’s hard to see what Wawrinka can do now.
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Second set: Djokovic 6-3 1-0 Wawrinka* Djokovic breaks again and is right in the driving seat now. Wawrinka gets us started, wins the first point but slashes across court and wide on the second. He’s having to expend a lot more energy, visibly at least, to win points here than Djokovic, who takes the next one too. And the next: another unforced error and two break points already! Wawrinka saves one after successfully appealing a serve that was called wide. No such luck on the second – he goes long despite forcing Djokovic heavily on the defensive and it’s a long, long way back for him now.
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From an optimistic John McEnerney: “This has 3 sets written all over it, Novak could do with a scare & Stan should give him a fright but that’s all, can’t see Nole losing this one he’s just too good right now.”
Simon McMahon writes again. About Sesame Street? Yes: “Sounds like its Novak ‘Super Grover’ Djokovic versus Stan ‘Cookie Monster’ Wawrinka at the moment.”
Alright then, any other tennis/Sesame Street counterparts spring to mind?
Djokovic wins the first set 6-3!
First set: Djokovic* 6-3 Wawrinka Wawrinka tries another of those backhands but it’s mistimed and Djokovic moves to within three points of the set. Make that two, as the Serb clubs in a forehand that is only half-returnable and puts away the resulting volley. Wide goes Wawrinka on the next one, and it’s 40-0 and three more set points. Djokovic squanders the first one, but does not err on the second and, after a very slow start, looks ominously comfortable out there now.
First set: Djokovic 5-3 Wawrinka* Wawrinka puts a forehand into the net on the first point. He can barely make a thing at the moment, but is then aided by a Djokovic miss. 15-15. Another forehand that doesn’t clear the net makes 15-30. Djokovic returns the ensuing serve stunningly, spectacularly, but Wawrinka manages to force an error shortly afterwards. An unreturned serve yields a “Come on!” and 40-30. Better from him, but better yet from Djokovic who lasers in a second-serve return for deuce. In his best bit of play for a while, Wawrinka then charges into the net and puts a volley away, but then Djokovic manufactures the next point with a stunning, angled forehand and we have parity – in this game – again. Wawrinka’s third double fault gives Djokovic his first set point after that....and he can’t convert it. Wawrinka then reaches Advantage with a great, controlled backhand to Djokovic’s right. Then he wins the game as Djokovic goes wide, and that is much more like it from him. It should do his confidence some good – it was far closer to the level of the first two.
First set: Djokovic* 5-2 Wawrinka If Stan doesn’t get back to the form of his first couple of games, this could really run away from him now. An increasingly rare mistake from Djokovic brings the score to 15-15, and then the drop shot trick doesn’t work a second time and Wawrinka perhaps has a chance to get himself back into this. But perhaps not, as Djokovic fires in an imperious ace for 30-30. Warwinka then slashes wide to end a rally that he had seemed, marginally, to have control of and, when a forehand on the next point comes off the rim of the racquet, Djokovic has his fifth game in a row.
First set: Djokovic 4-2 Wawrinka* Wawrinka’s serve has fallen apart. First blood to Djokovic in this one, Wawrinka hitting a backhand into the net. Wawrinka then follows suit with a forehand and is starting to look a bit rattled here. Then he double-faults again: 0-40! Djokovic creates the break with a stunning, spinning, wobbling drop shot that his opponent can only just return, and he dabs it back into the open court.
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First set: Djokovic* 3-2 Wawrinka Djokovic seems to have well and truly sorted his serve out here and quickly moves to 30-0. Another good, deep service makes 40-0. His run of 11 consecutive points is then broken when he nets, but Wawrinka surrenders the next one a little lamely. Djokovic has clicked into gear; the Swiss may regret not holding onto his advantage a bit longer.
First set: Djokovic 2-2 Wawrinka* Wawrinka, who sometimes plays right on the margins, nets on the first point. He is long on the second, it seems, but challenges – incorrectly. Djokovic has a glimmer at 0-30 again. It becomes a shaft of light when Wawrinka, looking a bit tight in this game, double faults. 0-40. Then he skies a Djokovic return and the Serb breaks back to love.
First set: Djokovic* 1-2 Wawrinka Djokovic races to 40-0 in this one, which is what he needs really, and goes on to hold to love. Not quite the excitement of the first two games.
First set: Djokovic 0-2 Wawrinka* Good, deep volley from Djokovic means Wawrinka needs to resort to a lob and it’s not bad, but floats long for 0-15. Then Djokovic, slightly perturbed by a spectator’s camera flash, takes the next point. He goes long with a backhand and then well wide with an attempted slide down the line, and we hit 30-30. But then he manufactures a break point of his own as the hard-hitting Wawrinka misses a little carelessly. He can’t convert that – Wawrinka’s serve was 135mph and very close to his body – and it’s deuce. They trade points but, eventually, another rocket of a Wawrinka forehand pass wins him the game. He’s started much the better here.
First set: Djokovic* 0-1 Wawrinka (the * will denote the player serving in the game described, from hereon) Well, already more fun than Berdych v Cilic as Wawrinka breaks! Djokovic wins the first point, sending Wawrinka the wrong way with a forehand winner after the return. But the Swiss hits form straightaway on the second, anticipating a Djokovic volley and finding a way past him tremendously. It’s 15-30 soon after and this game has begun interestingly. Wawrinka misses a presentable opportunity for the break points, going wide with a backhand down the line, but earns one at the second time of asking when Djokovic goes long after an attritional rally! It’s wasted, and we have deuce. We see our first appeal of the game on the next point, and Djokovic gets it wrong, appealing a ball that had gone in. He saves the resulting break point, and wins the next, but Wawrinka pulls out another superb forehand pass and it’s deuce again. Then he earns a THIRD break point and this time he takes it, as Djokovic hits diagonally and long!
Goodness me, the music sounds loud out there as the players warm up. Call me a grumpy old traditionalist but I think it’s a bit much. Anyway, one minute to go....
After some rather theatrical explaining of the rules from the match referee, Djokovic wins the toss and will serve first.
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Djokovic times everything far better. The grin on the face of the young mascot accompanying him is heart-meltingly wide.
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Wawrinka nearly RUINS EVERYTHING by starting his dark, brooding walk into the dark, brooding arena too early. He is deterred. Here he comes though, a little joke with the guy deployed to show him the way and then it gets serious. Out into this very modern tennis experience he strolls.
Djokovic: “He [Wawrinka] has improved a lot, he believes in himself much more and is very powerful. So it’s going to be a close one.
Wawrinka speaks: “It’s one of my favourite places to play tennis, an amazing atmosphere. I’ll have to play my best tennis, Novak is playing really well.”
He also speaks about last year’s semi-final between the pair, which Djokovic won 6-3 6-3.
Doesn’t look as if we’re on for that 8pm start. Sky have cut to a Federer/Murray preview. That one’s tomorrow.
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And something to remind you of: wins for Djokovic today and against Berdych on Friday will guarantee him that world number one spot at the year’s end.
Djokovic is talking about his wins here, against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in 2012 and 2013. “It’s always great if you finish off the season with such a big event,” he avers.
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Greg Rusedski says he wants to see an epic here: “We need something to happen in this singles event as it’s all been a little one-sided.”
On paper, you would say there is a chance he’ll get what he wants. Here’s hoping.
Ah, the doubles is done so we might be on sched.
A communiqué from Simon McMahon:
“Sesame Street was 45 on Monday. How many TV shows could have Arthur Ashe doing the alphabet in full tennis gear? Or, a more recent favourite, James Blunt singing ‘My Triangle’? Not many. Here’s to another 45 years.”
In tribute, here’s what Simon is on about (not the James Blunt bit):
Here are highlights from that superb match in Australia earlier this year:
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A little heads-up for you – the doubles match currently on court is still going on, so we’re not looking especially good for a prompt 8pm start. Keep you posted. In the meantime, we can always email. Use the address above for your musings on tennis, life, the universe and everything. But mostly tennis.
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A very good evening to you
Let’s hope it’s a bit better than the afternoon. Not that the afternoon was especially terrible in itself, but the Berdych-Cilic match was really rather dull and it feels about time, in general, that this tournament caught fire.
Might it do exactly that tonight? This certainly looks a more exciting match-up, with Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka having beaten Cilic and Berdych, respectively, by 6-1 6-1 scorelines in their first Group B games. Djokovic, who you don’t need me to tell you is the world number one, is on an astonishing run of indoor form at the moment with 28 consecutive wins – the third-best such streak in history – and will be favoured to overcome fourth-ranked Wawrinka. He’s done exactly that 15 times to the Swiss’s three, so we know what the form book says, but Wawrinka did beat him in the Australian Open quarters this year in a stunning five-setter.
If Wawrinka repeats the trick, he will qualify for the last four tonight. Djokovic can’t actually do that yet, because he still has to play Berdych, who has a win on the board and could yet rein him in. So there’s plenty of carrot for the gifted 29-year-old and you can never, ever rule him out. Stay tuned.
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