Wimbledon 2014: Djokovic outlasts Federer in an epic final to clinch title
The tapestry of sport is replete with warrior legends that survive long after the witnesses have perished. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer combined to produce yet another epic that had the best in the business wondering what it may have been that made us deserve such a soulful yet enervating game of tennis.
The two gladiators turned Centre Court into a modern Amphitheatre, playing out an epic that swung wildly enough to touch the edges of greatness. Eventually, Djokovic clinched his second Wimbledon title with a 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4 victory over a fighting Federer in a nearly four-hour battle that shall remain etched into Wimbledon lore.
Federer took the first set, almost against the grain of play. Djokovic, unaffected by the early setback, produced ferociously powerful tennis to subdue the Swiss. The Serb clinched the second and third sets to gain control of the match.
Djokovic was on the brink of victory, with Federer trailing 2-5 in the fourth set. But incredibly, the ageing Swiss found the motor and motivation needed to somehow cling by his nails, saving a match point to force the contest into a fifth set.
Perhaps the intensity of the drama – sapping even to those just watching – and the fact that he was serving from behind in the final set took a toll. The Swiss was eventually let down by his serve and the increasingly vulnerable backhand, as he finally succumbed in the 10th game of the final set.
Djokovic wasted no time revealing his cards – striking firmly at Federer’s backhand, before unleashing a backhand winner to pass the Swiss at the net to win the first game at 15. Federer on the other hand was drawn to deuce in his first service game, before he prevailed with a couple of well-directed missiles.
Djokovic had the measure of the contest for much of the set, but Federer was battling resolutely to keep him at bay and force the breaker after saving a set point.
The Serb punched a backhand volley too long to offer the first point to Federer in the tiebreak. The Swiss took advantage to gain a 3-0 lead, consolidating to 4-2 at the first change of ends.
A couple of poorly sliced backhands though resulted in Federer losing three straight to put Djokovic ahead at 5-4. A brilliant forehand return then caused Federer to sink his forehand in the net to offer a set point to the Serb.
But that was when Federer finally found the dormant genius within him – a sizzling forehand that burnt the paint on the line and an ace kept the breaker alive at 7-7. A huge serve gave the Swiss set point and Djokovic buried a backhand in the net to set the Swiss free.
Perhaps he was tricked into a false sense of comfort by winning the first set though. Federer was flat when play began in the second – he slipped into defense from 30-0, but managed to stave off two break points and hold serve. But the relief was temporary.
Federer threw in a double fault in the third game to offer a break point, and Djokovic wasn’t going to waste it this time. He crushed a backhand straight past the rushing Federer to nail the break.
That seemed to awaken Federer as he then held serve comfortably until the end of the set, but it proved too late against the resolute opponent across the net, who saved a break point at the tail end before taking the second set 6-4.
The third set was largely incident free, even though it never lacked in intensity. Both men seemed to have discovered their well-oiled service machines and chugged along nicely, till Federer’s locomotive hit the skids in the 11th game.
A netted backhand left the Swiss facing break point, which he saved with a body serve. Federer eventually needed a pair of aces after saving another break point to leave Djokovic serving to push for the breaker.
As Federer charged yet again to the net, Djokovic earned a mini-break with a backhand pass that left the Swiss swiping at air. Federer would snatch it back immediately after changing ends, but an errant forehand gave Djokovic the lead, 5-3.
A forehand winner of exquisite power and precision saw the Serb gain two set points – or did they feel like match points? Djokovic let out a resounding scream, one that almost shook the mass of Federer fans that populated Henman Hill, as soon as Federer pulled a backhand wide on the next point.
Federer was perilously close to burning his dream and he found himself dealing with loose sand very early in the fourth set. Broken in the fourth game, Federer stung immediately to take one back in the next game. But the resolute Serb kept persisting, and the Swiss yielded another break in the sixth game.
It appeared the engraver may have begun his work when Djokovic held to lead 5-2 in the fourth set. But the match took a dramatic twist with Djokovic serving for the title at 5-3. At 30-30, Djokovic spilt a backhand wide to offer break point and Federer stretched Djokovic before striking a beautiful forehand down the line winner to break serve.
Amidst the roaring chaos of the Centre Court, Federer sent down a double fault and netted a backhand to offer Championship point to Djokovic. An ace down the middle was just the weapon he needed to keep himself alive, as Federer went on to get even at 5-5.
Under pressure, Djokovic threw in a double fault and an overcooked backhand to offer three break points to the Swiss maestro. The Serb saved the first two, but sailed a forehand long on the next to surrender the decisive break. Federer held to 15 in the next game - slamming a forehand hard to force the error and push the match into a final set.
The engaging epic suffered an interruption when Djokovic called a medical time out for a strained right calf, while leading 2-1. An unperturbed Federer held with ease and the set remained on serve at 3-3. A terrific volley from Federer and a botched forehand from Djokovic then offered the first break point of the fifth to Federer.
It was to no avail though, as Djokovic survived a tight game of deuces to hold to 4-3. It was an effort that energized Djokovic into pushing Federer to the brink yet again in the next game. But the Swiss displayed the kind of resolve we haven’t seen in him recently – holding off three break points from 15-40 to somehow keep it all together at 4-4.
At 4-5, for the second time in the match, Federer was serving to stay in it. It was perhaps too much to ask even of the maestro – who fell to 0-30, making a couple of backhand errors. The scent of opportunity enabled Djokovic to attack with ferocity, causing an error off the forehand for two more Championship points.
A tired backhand into the net following a missed first serve, meant Djokovic could raise his arms in both relief and exultation at becoming the Wimbledon champion for a second time in his career. While the Serb climbed into his box to hug Boris Becker and the clan, Federer was left dealing with the sense of despondency that may have engulfed him upon realizing that a golden chance to win his 18th Major had slipped through his hands.