"Not sure they were watching the same match" - Andre Agassi's ex-coach defends Novak Djokovic against accusations of 'winning ugly' in Wimbledon SF
Andre Agassi's former coach Brad Gilbert has rejected the notion of Novak Djokovic "winning ugly" in the semifinals of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
On Friday, July 14, Djokovic advanced to his ninth final at the grasscourt Major after defeating Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4) in two hours and 46 minutes. The Serb was clinical in his performance, hitting 21 unforced errors to Sinner's 35 and firing off 33 winners.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion also converted two break points over the course of the match, without allowing the Italian a single break of serve. With the victory, the 36-year-old recorded his 34th consecutive win at SW19 and reached his record 35th Grand Slam final, surpassing Chris Evert's tally of 34 Major finals.
On Saturday, the sports section of 'The Sunday Times' featured an article on the World No. 2's victory, with the headline reading, "Winning Ugly." The title also referenced the controversial penalty handed to the Serb for his extended grunt.
"Bad-tempered Djokovic sets up Alcaraz showdown," a subheading read.
"Champion docked a point for grunting - then mocks Centre Court crowd," another subheading read.
Brad Gilbert took to social media and shared an image of the article in question. He emphasized his disagreement with the sentiment expressed in the headline, stating that the Serb had displayed an exceptional level of tennis during his semifinal win.
"Nice Winning Ugly headline, not sure they were watching same match as I was was, Djoker was simply balling," Gilbert tweeted.
Nice Winning Ugly headline, not sure they we’re watching same match as I was was, Djoker was simply balling 💪👊😎 https://t.co/9IUD60QCK4
Novak Djokovic chases Roger Federer's legacy in Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic will be up against Carlos Alcaraz in the finals of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships on Sunday, July 16. Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to reach his second Grand Slam final and his maiden final at the grasscourt Major.
Four-time defending champion Djokovic will be aiming to match Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg's record of five consecutive titles at SW19. The seven-time champion will also have the opportunity to equal Federer's record of eight Wimbledon titles.
Looking ahead to the all-important final, the Serb contended that based on all the performances over the course of the fortnight, his finals match-up with Alcaraz was the best possible outcome.
"I think, judging by the performances that we have seen from all the players, I think this is probably the best finals that we could have. We are both in good form. We're both playing well," he said.
Djokovic also admitted to being up against a tough challenge, expecting the Spaniard to test him physically, mentally and emotionally.
"It's going to be a great challenge, greatest challenge that I could have at the moment from any angle really: physical, mental, emotional," he added.