Wimbledon: Murray bows out; Federer meets Djokovic in final

I’ll be OK for the next match.

“It’s been a great tournament for me. I need to keep it up for one more match to really make it the ideal couple of weeks”.

It is not an observation Djokovic or any of his “Big Four” contemporaries of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal or Andy Murray would come out with after missing out on a chance to contest a Wimbledon final. He has beaten the Briton in their last three meetings, including a humiliating 6-0 6-1 victory in their last encounter at the ATP finals in November. Afterward, McEnroe, needled by his brother Patrick about his longtime support of Rafa as the tennis G.O.A.T., said, “I was wrong”, something many a chair umpire wouldn’t have minded hearing about 35 years ago.

“Then that puts pressure on you”. I got broken at the end of each set.

Pushing his baby’s pram through the leafy surroundings of Wimbledon Common is how Novak Djokovic collected his thoughts and mapped out his game plan to try and win a third title at the All England Club. He converted the first to pocket the set 7-5 – possibly the best set of tennis he’s played all year.

Gasquet provided plenty of fight, primarily via the stylish single-handed backhand that helped him beat French Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka in the last eight, but Djokovic was unmoved. Both players were displaying spectacular shots throughout the first set as they looked confident with their service. Djokovic won the tenth and final game 40 to love.

“I’m unbelievably happy”, he told media members. “The crowd really got into it”, he said.

“Physical, mental; the way he plays the game is obviously nice to watch as well”. On the clay, he’s one of the best, if not the best. “Andy’s been playing very well and there were so many expectations on this match”. I know how I can beat him, but this is a different occasion. “He’s been good for the game”.

On Friday, No. 2 Federer was masterful as he edged No. 3 Murray in straight sets, winning 7-5, 7-5, 6-4.

The gold medal for Murray was followed by his first Grand Slam title just two months later in New York.

At 28, the Serbian is just under a year younger than Gasquet but his big-match experience is vastly greater – as he showed Friday against the 21st seed. There was nothing to separate the two players early in the first set as in the first six games, there were six holds.

Murray delivered a 129 miles per hour ace to pull out an epic seven-deuce, 15-minute game, saving five set points along the way, to get to 5-all in the second set.

“Novak has been the best player for a few years now”, Federer said after the match.

Similarly, Federer has won 58.8% of all points played at Wimbledon compared to the next strongest performer Richard Gasquet who has won 55.2% of all points he’s played.

Gasquet was clinging on early in the third and was given a lifeline by Hawkeye after a seemingly wayward forehand on break point, with Djokovic already heading to his chair for the changeover.