The final stretch!
DJOKOVIC SETS UP A SUPER SUNDAY
It took a doublehanded backhand rifled down the line in the longest rally ever recorded at Wimbledon for Novak Djokovic to finally feel the love from the Centre Court crowd.
that 45-shot exchange in the third set proved the tipping point as the Serb overcame Roberto Bautista Agut to reach his sixth Championships final.
the world No 1 cupped his ear to the spectators after that point but for much of the match the Wimbledon faithful put their voices behind his Spanish opponent.
‘At times (the crowd) wanted him to come back into the match, maybe take a lead because he was an underdog. I understand that,’ said the defending champion, 32. ‘But I had enough support here over the years, so I don’t complain.’
If fans were against him here that will be nothing compared to tomorrow when he faces Roger Federer. Djokovic can expect every unforced error to be gleefully greeted by the acolytes of the patronon saint of Centre Court.
‘It wouldn’t be the first time playing against nst Nadal or Federer on the Centre Court, I know what to expect,’ said Djokovic, who beat Federer in backto-back Wimbledon finals in 2014 and 2015. ‘ I’m going to go out t there and give it my all. this is whatt worked for.’
this opening semi-mi-final always felt like an undercard fight before the big dust-up but it was an engaging contest which showed Djokovic’s powers of adaptation. He has diligently improved his net game and the fruits of those labours were on show in a display of volleying that would have made Goran Ivanisevic, the latest addition to his coaching team, proud.
Djokovic came to the net 53 times — more than Nadal and Federer combined yesterday — and won 79 per cent of those points.
It was an effective tactic against a player who had beaten him in their last two meetings, in Doha and Miami this year. Bautista Agut is one of the very few individuals who has the consistency, athleticism and bloody-mindedness to duel with Djokovic from the baseline.
the No 23 seed was a surprise semi-finalist, so much so that he had arranged his stag party for this week. But Bautista Agut’s six friends flew back from Ibiza and were in his box along with his fiancee Ana Bodi tortosa. All seven burst into applause when Bautista Agut began the match with his 89th forehand winner of the tournament, lashing a Djokovic first serve back past him down the line.
that proved to be an anomaly in an opening set Djokovic dominated against an opponent clearly nervous in his first Grand Slam semi final at the age of 31.
But Bautista Agut is a tough cookie and settled down into his metronomic rhythm. After a Djokovic hold to open the second set Bautista Agut won 11 of the next 12 points, his flat bullet of a forehanforehand emerging from the hhibernation into whiwhich it had retreated ssincein the first ppoint. He looked far mmore comfortable in the rallies and the crowd roared him on. Djokovic, mmeanwhile, was bbellowing in frustration trfrustration and gesticulating ulagesticulating wildly. ‘It’s notnothing unusual,’ he said. ‘ You go through these kkind of emotional moments all the time. there’s always something that can take you out of the comfort zone.’
out of his comfort zone he most certainly was. three times the No 1 seed changed rackets, rooting in his bag for the right tool with which to combat a resurgent opponent.
the match turned with that sprawling, epic rally in the third set, the longest since Wimbledon began recording their statistics in 2005.
With Djokovic leading 4-2 but break point down, they went back and forth for 45 shots. there were 16 consecutive cross-court backhands until Djokovic took his fate into his own hands and re- directed one down the line. When it really mattered, Bautista Agut played not to lose and Djokovic played to win.
‘Winning that game was crucial for me,’ he said. ‘It gave me more confidence and relief so I could swing more freely.’
As for Bautista Agut, the stag do is back on. Will he head out to Ibiza? ‘Definitely.’ When? ‘tomorrow.’