Djokovic edges Del Potro in a gladiatorial Wimbledon battle
Even the summer warmed up to the promising contest between the 2011 champion Novak Djokovic and the first time semi-finalist Juan Martin Del Potro. The two powerful men squared off for the honour of being the first man into the finals of the 127th Wimbledon Championships on a packed centre court.
The tennis beggared belief, before Djokovic prevailed 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 6-3 at the end a titanic 4 hour 43 minute duel of astronomical brilliance. In an intensely engaging and the longest ever semi-final in Wimbledon history – Djokovic needed to be better on almost every count to eliminate an obstinate opponent. The Serbian needed 22 aces (4 for Del Potro), 80 winners (48), 42 of 56 points at the net (25 of 37) to come out smiling from an epic clash of relentless gets and lung busting rallies to reach the finals.
Del Potro won the toss and requested to receive. Djokovic did not disappoint his host, holding serve with an ace down the middle. The 6’6” tower, taped at the knee, responded with a similarly thundering ace to begin his service game.
In their twelfth career meeting, Djokovic and Del Potro were meeting on grass for only the second time. Last year the Argentine got rid of Djokovic in the quarter-finals of Olympics on the very court they were standing on now. The world No. 8 also managed to win in Indian Wells earlier this year, but the Serbian has a convincing 8-3 edge over his opponent.
At 30-30 in the sixth game, Del Potro was a tad tentative. He had just gifted a double fault and Djokovic earned the first break point of the match by forcing the issue to the backhand side of the Argentine. Del Potro saved it and more with a couple of giant serves, just when he needed it.
But Djokovic flicked his wrist ever so gently to create an outstanding short angle forehand to bring the game back on deuce. Eventually, Del Potro managed to get through to a laboured hold after a 14 point marathon that lit up centre court in the bright intensity of a top class contest.
The tower of Tandil went after the backhand of Djokovic to stay even at 4-4, the tension though was mounting under the weight of the occasion. Neither of the two had lost a set on his way to the semis. With the set nearing its end it was difficult to gather who might give.
The quality of tennis was already pretty high and it just got impossibly better in the twelfth game. At 30-0 for Del Potro, it felt that the Argentine almost won himself three game points with a cross court backhand deep and wide to the Djokovic backhand. The elastic Serbian, stretched on his outside leg sliced a backhand up the line, landing it right in the corner of the deuce court.
The Serbian’s brilliance confounded his opponent, just as it enamoured an entire stadium. A drop shot on the next point left Del Potro scrambling in vain and an error gave Djokovic set point. It was interesting how the game turned on its head around a moment of maddening brilliance.
The Argentine was clearly rattled and the double fault that followed helped Djokovic finally snatch the wheel after nearly an hour of intense battle. The backhand of Djokovic wasn’t working well, but neither was the serve of Del Potro.
Djokovic did not have to deal with a break point in the set and won twice as many return points (14) as Del Potro (7) to keep him under pressure till the Argentine gave in. It was a tough start to the day for the Argentine, with only 50% of his first serves making the play.
The pressure was palpably obvious from early in the match. It mounted again when Del Potro fell to 15-40 in the sixth game. Fortunately for the Argentine, he produced his best tennis to wiggle out of trouble. A spectacular forehand volley winner and another loaded backhand winner off a short ball carried him to game point from a position of adversity.