Djokovic tops Federer in epic Wimbledon final
Djokovic tops Federer in epic, repeats as champion
WIMBLEDON, England — For nearly five tight, tense and terrific hours, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer traded the lead, playing on and on and on until an unprecedented fifth-set tiebreaker was required to settle their memorable Wimbledon final.
In the end, it was Djokovic who emerged victorious on Sunday, coming back to edge Federer 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3) and become the first man in 71 years to take home the trophy from the All England Club after needing to erase championship points.
“Unfortunately in these kinds of matches, one of the players has to lose,” Djokovic said. “It’s quite unreal.”
After facing two match points at 8-7 in the last set, he wound up winning his fifth Wimbledon title and second in a row. The triumph also pushed Djokovic’s Grand Slam trophy haul to 16, moving him closer to the only men ahead of him in tennis history when it comes to major singles championships: Federer owns 20 and Rafael Nadal has 18.
“I just feel like it’s such an incredible opportunity missed,” said Federer, who actually accumulated 14 more total points than Djokovic, 218-204. “I can’t believe it.”
The Swiss star, less than a month from his 38th birthday, has ruled grass courts since the early 2000s; he has won Wimbledon eight times dating to 2003, and this was his record-extending 12th appearance in the title match. However, he’s 0-3 against Djokovic in finals at the All England Club and 0-4 against the 32-year-old Serbian in five-set matches overall.
This one was unlike any other, though. That’s because, while it was reminiscent of Federer’s 16-14 fifth-set victory over Andy Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon final, that score is no longer possible: The All England Club altered its rule this year to do away with never-ending matches and institute a tiebreaker at 12-all in a deciding set.
At one point during the final set Sunday, Djokovic asked chair umpire Damian Steiner whether the change called for the tiebreaker at 10-10. Later, when Djokovic held for an 11-10 lead, it was Steiner who got confused, beginning to call out the score as 11-9, before catching himself.
“I respect whatever the rule is,” Federer said when asked what he thinks of the altered setup. “So really, it is what it is, you know?”
Djokovic and Federer pushed each other to the limit in what became as much a test of focus and stamina as it was about skill. It is the longest final in the history of a tournament that dates to the 1870s, eclipsing by nine minutes Nadal’s legendary five-set win over Federer in 2008.
Like that one, this is destined to be discussed for years.
“I’ll try to forget,” joked Federer, who would have been the oldest man to win a Grand Slam singles title in the professional era had he added a record-extending ninth Wimbledon crown.
“It was a great match. It was long. It had everything. I had my chances. So did he. I thought we played some great tennis. In a way, I’m very happy with my performance, as well,” Federer said during the trophy ceremony. “But Novak, it’s great. Congratulations, man. That was crazy. Well done.”
At first it was Federer who kept falling behind, then coming back. He twice trailed by a set even though he came quite close to winning the match in three: Federer was two points from grabbing the opening set on seven occasions but couldn’t do it; he was one point from seizing the third, but again came up short.
Then, Federer was down a break early in the crucible of the fifth. And then, after seemingly gaining the upper hand, standing a single point from winning while serving for the victory at 8-7, 40-15, he faltered. He sent a forehand wide on the first championship point, and Djokovic produced a cross-court forehand winner on the next.
Soon enough, Djokovic had broken back and on they would play for another 45 minutes.
“Definitely tough to have those chances,” Federer said.
In the semifinals of the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Opens, Djokovic erased two match points each time before coming back to beat Federer.
Looking at the bigger picture, there’s also this takeaway from Sunday: Nadal’s status as Federer’s principal nemesis has been thoroughly documented and studied over the years — which is a small part of why Friday’s semifinal victory for Federer over the 33-year-old Spaniard was fraught with meaning.
Now it’s high time to discuss Djokovic’s edge over Federer. Djokovic has won their past five meetings and holds a 26-22 advantage overall, including 10-6 at Grand Slam tournaments and 3-1 at Wimbledon.
As the newfangled tiebreaker carried the last set alone past the two-hour mark, it was Djokovic who was better. When Federer shanked a forehand off his racket frame, it was over, allowing Djokovic to renew his personal tradition of plucking some blades of Centre Court grass and chewing on them.
“Constant pressure,” Djokovic said. “I had to fight and find my game to stay in the match.”