Djokovic clinches sixth Wimbledon crown to tie Federer and Nadal with 20 Grand Slam titles
LONDON: Novak Djokovic won a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title and sixth Wimbledon on Sunday with a four-set victory over batling Mateo Berretini of Italy.
The world number one triumphed 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to move level on 20 majors with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
His win also put him three-quarters of the way to the first calendar Grand Slam of all four majors since 1969.
A sixth victory at the All England Club for Djokovic, who was playing in his 30th final at the Slams, added to his nine Australian Opens, two Roland Garros titles as well as three at the US Open.
Should he win a fourth title in New York in September, he will become just the third man in history ater Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) to complete the calendar Grand Slam.
“It was more than a batle. He is a true Italian hammer I felt it on my skin,” said Djokovic of Berretini.
“It means none of us three will stop. Roger and Rafa are legends they are the reason I am where I am today.”
Fe der er--who bowed out in the quarter-finals while Nadal did not play -- tweeted his congratulations. “Congrats Novak on your 20th major,” he said. “I’m proud to have the opportunity to play in a special era of tennis champions. Wonderful performance, well done!”
The Serb also now has 85 career titles while he has become the first man to break the $150 million prize money barrier. A gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics could give him the first ever Golden Grand Slam by a male player.
Djokovic overcame a nervy start to break for 3-1, which he stretched to 5-2.
He even had a set point in a marathon eighth game which the Italian saved ater eight deuces.
Reinvigorated, he broke Djokovic when he served for the set and then dominated the tiebreaker which he sealed with his fourth ace of the contest.
The top seed stormed to a 5-1 lead in the second set on the back of a double break.
Berretini, bidding to be Italy’s first men’s Grand Slam winner since Adriano Panata at the 1976 French Open, clawed his way back to 4-5, saving three set points, but Djokovic this time served it out for a set apiece.
Djokovic struck first again for a 2-1 lead in the third set and fought off three break points in the sixth game, a show of defiance which brought watching Hollywood star Tom Cruise to his feet.
That was Berretini’s last chance of the set as Djokovic served it out in the 10th game. A weary Berretini then served up a double fault on break point to hand Djokovic a 4-3 lead in the fourth set.
Djokovic kept coming, sprinting from the back of the court to pull off a wondrous pick-up and he held on for 5-3. Berretini, hoping to be Italy’s first singles champion at Wimbledon, saved two championship points in the eighth game.
But he was powerless on the third as Djokovic swept to his place in history.
BANERJEE WINS BOYS’ TITLE : Indian-american Samir Banerjee won the boys’ singles title, beating Viktor Lilov 7-5, 6-3 in an all-american final on Sunday.
Banerjee, who reached the final by beating France’s Sascha Gueymard Wayenburg in the semi-finals, is the first American junior champion at Wimbledon since Reilly Opelka in 2015, and 12th overall.
Banerjee, who is from New Jersey, and Viktor traded serves in the first set in the clash of two 17-year-olds before the Indian-american won two consecutive games from 5-5 to take the set.
In the second set, Banerjee broke his opponent’s serve in the sixth game and went on to win it 6-3, completing his triumph in one hour and 21 minutes, when Viktor made a backhand error.
Banerjee is commited to play for Columbia University in the autumn and draws inspiration from several players who took the college tennis route to success before.
“Growing up, I think college was always in the picture, I was going to use tennis to get to college. Obviously trying to play at the highest level I could and then go to college and maybe ater college try to go pro. I think I didn’t really expect this,” he told the Wimbledon official website ater his semi-final victory.