NOVAK DOWNS THE FALL GUY
Djokovic delight as Dimitrov slips out
IT was Grigor Dimitrov’s girlfriend, Maria Sharapova, who once joked her movement on clay resembled ‘a cow on ice’.
It would be unfair to pin that label on the supremely athletic Bulgarian, but in the course of yesterday’s exhilarating Wimbledon semi-final he may have set an unofficial record for slipping over on the coarsened Centre Court grass. That may prove t he most enduring memory of an afternoon of spills and thrills that resulted in Novak Djokovic winning 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 to set up a final with Roger Federer.
Just as Sharapova eventually found her footing on clay to win two French Open ti tl es, you suspect that Dimitrov will similarly master the turf and be back one day as a Wimbledon champion.
Dimitrov has proved this week in performances against Andy Murray and now the 27-year- old Djokovic that this is well within his compass, provided he can discover the consistent mental application that will be required.
As much as his young millionaire’s backside constantly bumping on to the hallowed lawn was a reason for defeat, it was his occasional lapses at inopportune times that proved his undoing against s uch a magnificent competitor.
With Sharapova looking down from his competitor’s box, it could so easily have gone into a decider had Dimitrov mustered a little more composure on the quartet of set points he created in the fourth.
As it is, Djokovic will contest the 13th Grand Slam final of his career tomorrow and try to arrest a run, beginning here a year ago, which has seen him lose the last three. As if he needs any more incentive, one more win would take him back to the world No 1 spot.
Djokovic was quick to give credit to his opponent, saying: ‘I played against a future star, he is already a top player with quality shots and a great touch.
‘Like in my last match (against Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals) I allowed my opponent back in. It’s a big challenge now for me as I have lost my last few Grand Slam finals when I could have won them all.’
Djokovic will be battle-hardened this time after a tough campaign here. He just about avoided his fate of last year, when Juan Martin Del Potro dragged him into a marathon five-setter and softened him up for Andy Murray, who famously beat him in the final.
Nobody will relish the challenge more this time than the man from the Kosovan mountains, who is so driven by national pride.
The established stars have been somewhat under siege at this year’s Wimbledon, but nobody was going to mount more of a stand than Djokovic. In previous years, he has not enjoyed the dusty expanses that develop around the back of the court late in the championships but, ever the great problem solver, his movement has looked more comfortable this time.
Bulgarian Dimitrov is a fine athlete himself and his falls highlighted that Wimbledon needs to try to come up with a solution to the condition of the baseline. It appears to have deteriorated more in the last two years and someone might get injured. Perhaps the option of clay- court footwear is called for in the latter rounds.
Neither player complained about the underfoot conditions, although Djokovic said he felt it was slippier than last year. Dimitrov admitted he ‘lost count’ of how many times he changed his shoes but believed it was four. ‘Of course the grass is wearing off a little bit, you can’t really expect much else, but it’s the same for both us,’ he said. Dimitrov is of a similar elastic body type to Djokovic and made some incredible ‘gets’ while slipping all over the place. Yet it was serving from a static position that often proved a problem for Dimitrov, with eight double faults.
There was one at 2-4 in the first tiebreak and 6-6 in the second and three consecutive ones in the third game of the fourth set. Against Murray there was also the occasional poor game but Djokovic was able to exact a higher price.
In warm but breezy conditions, the first set raced by in 27 minutes and a brief encounter beckoned when the Serb broke for 3-2 in the second. But Dimitrov then produced four inspired games, featuring his glorious volleying skills, to level the match.
His sliced backhand was causing problems but Djokovic responded by coming forward more, doubtless urged by coach Boris Becker. Djokovic saved a break point at 3-4 in the third set and benefited from an ill-chosen drop shot in the ensuing tiebreak.
When the three double faults led to Dimitrov going behind in the fourth it looked over, only for him to respond with a fighting instinct that must have had his girlfriend purring with pride. Djokovic was so pumped to save a first set point at 4-5 that he led out a blood-curdling yell and had cause to be grateful for his opponent’s charity in the tiebreak when he let slip a lead of 6-3.
There was the lack of a killer punch from Dimitrov and Djokovic was not afraid to move further up the court away from the troublesome area at the back. He clinched the tiebreak 9-7 and afterwards expressed the hope the crowd had enjoyed it, which they surely did.