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Showing results for tags 'Novak Djokovic'.
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In a 4-hour, 55-minute thriller of a match in yesterday's Wimbledon Gentleman's Finals, Novak Djokovic barely defeated Roger Federer, the final score being 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3). The match was so close that, at one point, Federer was serving with two match points on his racket, with the score in the fifth set 8-7, 40-15; yet, Djokovic somehow managed to draw even at deuce, and go on to break Federer's serve. The match was so close that Federer actually won more games (36-32) and more points (218-204). Today, Monday, a growing coalition is forming, contending that Federer actually won the match, and that he is the rightful Wimbledon champion. Reginald Halliday, one of the leaders of the movement, says, "Federer won more games, and most importantly, more points. How could Djokovic possibly be considered the champion, when he didn't even win a majority of these? The rules of tennis are archaic and unethical, and Federer will always be the 2019 champion to anyone of sound judgment." A representative for the Wimbledon tournament has not yet responded. -
I know these four have been beaten to death in this forum (but at least I didn't add Brooks Robinson), but I just cannot get over their total domination of the sport for the past dozen years, and even without Murray in the equation, the Big 3 have been unprecedented in their dominance of the sport. Look at these statistics: At least one of them made the finals of 38 consecutive Grand Slams, from the 2005 French Open to the 2014 Wimbledon Championships - that's 9 1/2 years-worth of Grand Slams. As there are 2 finalists per tournament, they made up 62 of the 76 finalists of those 38 Grand Slams. Beginning with the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, at least 1 of them has been in the finals of 47 of the last 49 Grand Slams - that's 12 1/4 years-worth of Grand Slams which continues to this day, and doesn't show much sign of letting up, at least not just yet. For 10 consecutive Grand Slams, one of them was champion, and another one was runner-up. One of them won 34 out of 35 consecutive Grand Slams - if you remove Murray from the equation, one of the Big 3 won 32 out of 35 (Murray is only 3-11 in Grand Slam finals). You can manipulate and invent all sorts of unbelievable numbers, but this is a pretty good start. We're witnessing the tail end of perhaps the most historic period of men's tennis we'll see in our lifetimes. And don't forget the one woman most responsible for who is arguably the greatest female tennis player in history: Venus Williams. Okay, okay, you want me to talk about someone else who's awesome? Boris Becker! Look! This is also a rare opportunity to hear the great Arthur Ashe commenting on the match - he doesn't waste words, and everything that he speaks rings of wisdom.
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Well, it's happened: There's no more "Big Three" (and I don't think there ever was a "Big Four"), and Novak Djokovic just won the 2016 Australian Open to remove all doubt that he has risen to be the #1 tennis player in the world. And quite honestly, I don't see that changing anytime soon, short of a catastrophic event. Between being six-years younger than a still-great but declining Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal's frame giving way, there is nobody out there right now who is even close to Djokovic, and he is a legitimate threat to overtake Federer's record of 17 majors (after winning the Australian Open, Djokovic now has 11). He could theoretically pass Federer *next year*, although that's highly unlikely. In today's power-baseline game, Djokovic is the perfect tennis machine, and one of the fittest people I have ever seen (yes, I think he probably "has some help"). He's basically out there doing wind sprints for hours on end, he can do a full split, he practices yoga, he's gluten-free - and he is absolutely driven to play for Serbia which he seems to view as a "bigger cause" than personal glory. Djokovic has gotten to the semi-finals in 22 out of the past 23 Grand Slams. In the last 7 Grand Slams, his record is 47-2. His game relies on pure fitness, so he'll break down eventually, but right now, I don't think he's ever been in better physical condition - this man seems to be in almost perfect shape. "Novak Djokovic: Can Australian Open Champion Become Greatest Ever?" by Aimee Lewis on bbc.com Yes, he most certainly can.
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Here is the official website of the 2016 French Open (1891). After the first week, the big news in the men's side is that Roger Federer withdrew before the tournament started, and a genuinely devastated Rafael Nadal had to pull out with a wrist injury after his third-round victory. "Rafael Nadal Pulls Out of French Open with Wrist Injury" on bbc.com "This is a tough moment, and the toughest press conference I have ever had to give, but it is not the end," Nadal said. At this point, we're in the Round of 16, and aside from the obvious Djokovic, both Andy Murray and Serena Williams had terrific first weeks. Williams has a chance to tie Steffi Graf's Open-Era Grand-Slam Singles Titles at 22, and Djokovic is gunning for the only major that has eluded his otherwise-illustrious career - this title would mean a *lot* to both of them. Williams, in particular, positively mowed down her opponents in her first two matches, before showing her resiliency in the third round. And let's not forget defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka, who - with several other top-flight players including Murray and Kei Nishikori - hungrily await Novak Djokovic on the other half of the draw, an obvious problem is that they have a much tougher path to the championship: Djokovic will almost surely make it to the finals this year, and fatigue may be a lethal issue for his opponent.
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I'm in California, and set my alarm for 6 AM to get up and watch this. You have no excuses on the east coast!
