2013 Wimbledon Final: Djokovic vs. Murray

[Iona16]

First of all I want to say sorry to the Novak fans. I know more than most how disappointing it is when your player loses a slam final. As expected Djokovic was very gracious. I think the crowd and Murray fans appreciated his speech and his kind words for Andy and the British tennis fans.

Today was fantastic for Scotland, Great Britain and British sport but most of all it was a fantastic day for Andy, his family and friends and his fans.

I hope to never hear the name Fred Perry again but I fear I will when the AO 2014 starts.

Well, a rare day of sunshine in Scotland and some champagne have left me with a headache so I'm logging off. It has been a good day.

 

[Moxie]

Steve Tignor may have written the best piece about the match and Murray. See it here.

 

[kskate2]

There is a new thread devoted to the Wimbledon ball w/ very nice pictures. If interested, please see here:
http://www.tennisfrontier.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=538&pid=15624#pid15624

 

[herios]

I didn't feel like posting yesterday, I was so depressed.
Good for Andy and congrats to Iona, but Nole looked so bad to me, like it was 2008-09 all over again.
At the end, I felt like he played as flat as he was against Kohlschreiber in 2009 at RG.
All I will say that if he doesn't show more desire and resolve, he'll lose lots of fans.
I am not one of those, but I saw already some giving up on watching him.

 

[huntingyou]

I didn't feel like posting yesterday, I was so depressed.
Good for Andy and congrats to Iona, but Nole looked so bad to me, like it was 2008-09 all over again.
At the end, I felt like he played as flat as he was against Kohlschreiber in 2009 at RG.
All I will say that if he doesn't show more desire and resolve, he'll lose lots of fans.
I am not one of those, but I saw already some giving yup on watching him.

who did you see giving up on him?

Novak plays with a chip on his shoulder, when the media and everybody else writes him off....he will make then remember who is the top dog. I'm not worry about him. He is only human and the field it tough.

 

[Front242]

As nehmeth pointed out in chat during the match yesterday, Djokovic was definitely mentally fatigued after that great win and long, physical match against Del Potro and that may have drained him. Murray's semi final by comparison was a much easier affair. They both had pressure: huge pressure on Murray naturally and kudos to him for winning with all that on his shoulders but Djokovic had the pressure of expectation as number 1 and the media hyped him up no end from the word go, with his "easy" draw. It didn't turn out to be so easy when Del Potro played out of his mind. And Haas didn't play his best but still, given he was expected to reach the final it was a big pressure situation to then perform when he got there. And he didn't perform anywhere near his best.

A much more neutral environment at Flushing Meadows in terms of crowd support for one thing so next slam should be more even. The US Open should be a cracker. We all want to see Fed and Nadal do well to redeem themselves and Andy and Novak are the top dogs at that slam unless Fed, Nadal catch fire and get favourable draws at this stage. And Del Potro may be very much in the mix. If some of Novak's fans gave up on him after yesterday, they're not proper fans. He played a crazy match just 2 days before which took its toll on his mind (he said he was fine physically), but you can't be expected to play your best all the time.

The one worrying stat though for Novak is that the last few slams he's played far better getting to the finals than he has in the final itself and actually saved his worst performance for the biggest match. Something he'll hopefully work on.

 

[Kieran]

Ah no, the pressure was all on Murray. It was huge, on him. Nole didn't have anything to trouble his serenity until the del Potro match and I doubt very much he was drained after that...

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Very disappointed in Djokovic! This is the second slam in a row where he has given up leads in sets and lost. You have to hold serve that is the difference between Nole 2011 an this Nole. His serve was far superior and consistent in 2011

 

[Ricardo]

To me that was a great match, so unsure of the result until the final ball.... pretty sure the match would've still been in the air if Novak won that break point. Very happy for Murray, but it really shows what a champion Djoker is. The guy is absolute steel under pressure, in comparison Murray is still a kid learning his way but he is getting better. Doesn't matter how good you are, a real champ must have the mind of one.

---

Are you telling me none of you guys picked Murray in 3?

Though I really don't like Murray one bit I am happy The Joke is stuck at 6.

I don't know, but you can't watch Djoker and not admire him. The guy is made of steel.

---

This was not a match from Djokovic that displayed any steel. That was the puzzling thing, he went quietly into the night. Not sure if it means anything in the future or it was just a bad day physically and mentally at the office.

---

i just can't vouch for the accuracy of your assessment, it's way off very often (usually about Federer). Djoker saved tons of break points, by hanging in there very tough. Look, Murray had more good luck today and the crowd was so against Djoker, and in that situation Djoker fought till the very end. Can you imagine what'd happen if Murray was in his shoe? Djoker played him tough, you gotta look at things without being biased.

---

This was not a match from Djokovic that displayed any steel. That was the puzzling thing, he went quietly into the night. Not sure if it means anything in the future or it was just a bad day physically and mentally at the office.

I was thinking the same thing. This was anything BUT clutch tennis. It's probably Djokovic's worst slam final performance. Maybe even one of his worst performances in a big match. To say that he displayed steel is laughable.

Every time he had a lead, he led it slip away. He made head scratching UFEs at the most inopportune moments, insane net rushes, lost his temper and composure, and almost never got a foothold in the match despite being ahead a few times (and even 4-1 in set 2). This was far away from the guy who saved Match points against Fed and beat Nadal in 3 slam Finals. Not the ruthless machine who became #1.

All credit to Murray though. Played a great match and held his nerve. Hopefully he can play more offensive tennis now that the monkey of his back. He's so much better when he hits through the ball and stands in.

Finally, one could NOW make a reasonable argument that Murray might be a better grasscourt player than Djokovic, which is what I said before the match. Except that I didn't know Djokovic would cave in so meekly.

To not being able to see how tough Djoker was and the fact that he still played well under the situation, is very silly. They both thought it was a high level match, and it couldn't be if one player didn't play well. And as well as Murray played, the fact that Djoker was able to still have a lead in 2nd and 3rd set showed how well he was playing himself. Djoker is always very honest about his performance, he has expressed countless times how he was disappointed with his level of play, but today he emphasized on 'high level' - definitely not trying to be diplomatic.

The only reason you would say these laughable things, is that you wanted Djoker to win and he didn't. This sort of reaction usually follows after your horse didn't finish first. It's easy to be biased, just sit back and look again you might find how wrong you are.

---

Very disappointed in Djokovic! This is the second slam in a row where he has given up leads in sets and lost. You have to hold serve that is the difference between Nole 2011 an this Nole. His serve was far superior and consistent in 2011

So he lost and it's always that he gave up and played poorly, natural reaction when you support a particular player. Djoker didn't 'give up' leads, Murray had to step up and took it from him. Also he didn't serve as badly as you claimed, he actually had higher 1st serve in % than Murray, not high % winning but you have to attribute that to his opponent for returning very well this match.

 

[DarthFed]

To me that was a great match, so unsure of the result until the final ball.... pretty sure the match would've still been in the air if Novak won that break point. Very happy for Murray, but it really shows what a champion Djoker is. The guy is absolute steel under pressure, in comparison Murray is still a kid learning his way but he is getting better. Doesn't matter how good you are, a real champ must have the mind of one.

---

Are you telling me none of you guys picked Murray in 3?

Though I really don't like Murray one bit I am happy The Joke is stuck at 6.

I don't know, but you can't watch Djoker and not admire him. The guy is made of steel.

---

This was not a match from Djokovic that displayed any steel. That was the puzzling thing, he went quietly into the night. Not sure if it means anything in the future or it was just a bad day physically and mentally at the office.

---

i just can't vouch for the accuracy of your assessment, it's way off very often (usually about Federer). Djoker saved tons of break points, by hanging in there very tough. Look, Murray had more good luck today and the crowd was so against Djoker, and in that situation Djoker fought till the very end. Can you imagine what'd happen if Murray was in his shoe? Djoker played him tough, you gotta look at things without being biased.

---

This was not a match from Djokovic that displayed any steel. That was the puzzling thing, he went quietly into the night. Not sure if it means anything in the future or it was just a bad day physically and mentally at the office.

I was thinking the same thing. This was anything BUT clutch tennis. It's probably Djokovic's worst slam final performance. Maybe even one of his worst performances in a big match. To say that he displayed steel is laughable.

Every time he had a lead, he led it slip away. He made head scratching UFEs at the most inopportune moments, insane net rushes, lost his temper and composure, and almost never got a foothold in the match despite being ahead a few times (and even 4-1 in set 2). This was far away from the guy who saved Match points against Fed and beat Nadal in 3 slam Finals. Not the ruthless machine who became #1.

All credit to Murray though. Played a great match and held his nerve. Hopefully he can play more offensive tennis now that the monkey of his back. He's so much better when he hits through the ball and stands in.

Finally, one could NOW make a reasonable argument that Murray might be a better grasscourt player than Djokovic, which is what I said before the match. Except that I didn't know Djokovic would cave in so meekly.

To not being able to see how tough Djoker was and the fact that he still played well under the situation, is very silly. They both thought it was a high level match, and it couldn't be if one player didn't play well. And as well as Murray played, the fact that Djoker was able to still have a lead in 2nd and 3rd set showed how well he was playing himself. Djoker is always very honest about his performance, he has expressed countless times how he was disappointed with his level of play, but today he emphasized on 'high level' - definitely not trying to be diplomatic.

The only reason you would say these laughable things, is that you wanted Djoker to win and he didn't. This sort of reaction usually follows after your horse didn't finish first. It's easy to be biased, just sit back and look again you might find how wrong you are.

---

Very disappointed in Djokovic! This is the second slam in a row where he has given up leads in sets and lost. You have to hold serve that is the difference between Nole 2011 an this Nole. His serve was far superior and consistent in 2011

So he lost and it's always that he gave up and played poorly, natural reaction when you support a particular player. Djoker didn't 'give up' leads, Murray had to step up and took it from him. Also he didn't serve as badly as you claimed, he actually had higher 1st serve in % than Murray, not high % winning but you have to attribute that to his opponent for returning very well this match.

---

---

---

Ricky accusing others of being biased when he has made a living on these boards berating posters, especially those who support Djokovic. Saying someone who loses 8 out of 9 games after taking a 4-1 lead in the 2nd and then loses the last 4 games after a 4-2 lead in the 3rd is someone who displayed incredible steel is one of the most laughable things I've seen on this board. I mean just read that last sentence...8 out of 9 games on grass after a commanding lead, and then the last 4 games after going up 4-2 in a set he needed to prolong the match. I'm guessing your "accurate" assessment is based on Djokovic saving 3 match points in the final game. :nono I guess we can ignore the above and focus on 5 points of the match where Djokovic didn't disappear...

 

[the AntiPusher]

Are you telling me none of you guys picked Murray in 3?

Though I really don't like Murray one bit I am happy The Joke is stuck at 6.

Heck, Murray didn't even pick himself in 3 sets.:s

 

[Haelfix]

This match was a bit of a surprise for me. I knew Murray has a more natural grass court game, and that his cat and mouse style would be effective against Novak on this surface. I didn't think he'd win by being so defensive though (incidentally we can put to rest the silly notion that only offensive and aggressive gamestyles can win slams) mostly b/c I thought Novak would come out hitting bombs and being very aggressive in the court position battle. He didn't or rather didn't execute and missed a bunch, which made things considerably easier for Andy.

Novak's terrible netgame really hurt him in this final. There were about 8 or 9 completely makeeable volleys and overheads that he missed or didn't hit with enough authority, and I think you'd have seen a much closer score if he had.

Also, Murray took a page out of Federer's playbook, and went behind Novak at almost every opportunity. This really worked well, and is a problem with Novak's grass movement that he'll need to work on.

 

[Moxie]

This match was a bit of a surprise for me. I knew Murray has a more natural grass court game, and that his cat and mouse style would be effective against Novak on this surface. I didn't think he'd win by being so defensive though (incidentally we can put to rest the silly notion that only offensive and aggressive gamestyles can win slams) mostly b/c I thought Novak would come out hitting bombs and being very aggressive in the court position battle. He didn't or rather didn't execute and missed a bunch, which made things considerably easier for Andy.

Novak's terrible netgame really hurt him in this final. There were about 8 or 9 completely makeeable volleys and overheads that he missed or didn't hit with enough authority, and I think you'd have seen a much closer score if he had.

Also, Murray took a page out of Federer's playbook, and went behind Novak at almost every opportunity. This really worked well, and is a problem with Novak's grass movement that he'll need to work on.

Good points, Haelfix, as always. Does anyone think that Novak might, at some point, try to pick up some more doubles play to work on his net game?

 

[rafanoy1992]

This match was a bit of a surprise for me. I knew Murray has a more natural grass court game, and that his cat and mouse style would be effective against Novak on this surface. I didn't think he'd win by being so defensive though (incidentally we can put to rest the silly notion that only offensive and aggressive gamestyles can win slams) mostly b/c I thought Novak would come out hitting bombs and being very aggressive in the court position battle. He didn't or rather didn't execute and missed a bunch, which made things considerably easier for Andy.

Novak's terrible netgame really hurt him in this final. There were about 8 or 9 completely makeeable volleys and overheads that he missed or didn't hit with enough authority, and I think you'd have seen a much closer score if he had.

Also, Murray took a page out of Federer's playbook, and went behind Novak at almost every opportunity. This really worked well, and is a problem with Novak's grass movement that he'll need to work on.

Good points, Haelfix, as always. Does anyone think that Novak might, at some point, try to pick up some more doubles play to work on his net game?

Moxie, do you recommend having Nadal as Djokovic potential doubles partner?

How about a Federer/Djokovic team haha?

 

[Moxie]

This match was a bit of a surprise for me. I knew Murray has a more natural grass court game, and that his cat and mouse style would be effective against Novak on this surface. I didn't think he'd win by being so defensive though (incidentally we can put to rest the silly notion that only offensive and aggressive gamestyles can win slams) mostly b/c I thought Novak would come out hitting bombs and being very aggressive in the court position battle. He didn't or rather didn't execute and missed a bunch, which made things considerably easier for Andy.

Novak's terrible netgame really hurt him in this final. There were about 8 or 9 completely makeeable volleys and overheads that he missed or didn't hit with enough authority, and I think you'd have seen a much closer score if he had.

Also, Murray took a page out of Federer's playbook, and went behind Novak at almost every opportunity. This really worked well, and is a problem with Novak's grass movement that he'll need to work on.

Good points, Haelfix, as always. Does anyone think that Novak might, at some point, try to pick up some more doubles play to work on his net game?

Moxie, do you recommend having Nadal as Djokovic potential doubles partner?

How about a Federer/Djokovic team haha?

Actually, Rafa and Nole did it once...Canada, I think? They lost in the first round, but it was amusing. But seriously, why not Zimonjic, for example, his countryman, who's a great doubles player? As when Rafa has decided to play some doubles, any tournament would give this team a WC, just to give the fans more chances to see the marquee player. When Djokovic goes deep in singles, he bails on the doubles, but the partner is happy for the payday. I'm sure there are any number of doubles veterans who'd welcome the chance to play a few rounds with him.

 

[rafanoy1992]

This match was a bit of a surprise for me. I knew Murray has a more natural grass court game, and that his cat and mouse style would be effective against Novak on this surface. I didn't think he'd win by being so defensive though (incidentally we can put to rest the silly notion that only offensive and aggressive gamestyles can win slams) mostly b/c I thought Novak would come out hitting bombs and being very aggressive in the court position battle. He didn't or rather didn't execute and missed a bunch, which made things considerably easier for Andy.

Novak's terrible netgame really hurt him in this final. There were about 8 or 9 completely makeeable volleys and overheads that he missed or didn't hit with enough authority, and I think you'd have seen a much closer score if he had.

Also, Murray took a page out of Federer's playbook, and went behind Novak at almost every opportunity. This really worked well, and is a problem with Novak's grass movement that he'll need to work on.

Good points, Haelfix, as always. Does anyone think that Novak might, at some point, try to pick up some more doubles play to work on his net game?

Moxie, do you recommend having Nadal as Djokovic potential doubles partner?

How about a Federer/Djokovic team haha?

Actually, Rafa and Nole did it once...Canada, I think? They lost in the first round, but it was amusing. But seriously, why not Zimonjic, for example, his countryman, who's a great doubles player? As when Rafa has decided to play some doubles, any tournament would give this team a WC, just to give the fans more chances to see the marquee player. When Djokovic goes deep in singles, he bails on the doubles, but the partner is happy for the payday. I'm sure there are any number of doubles veterans who'd welcome the chance to play a few rounds with him.

I'm actually surprised Djokovic didn't play doubles this year at Indian Wells. Usually, he plays doubles at Indian Wells along with Troicki.

 

[Iona16]

Andy was on the cover of 1 or 2 papers today. I bought ALL of them.

We'll know in October how Wimbledon are going to commemorate Andy's win. Apparently, the Wimbledon committee had planned something for Andy's Olympic win but it has been held up by wrangling over the five-ring logo. What a fiasco.

 

[kskate2]

Just one or two papers, Iona? :snigger

 

[tented]

Andy was on the cover of 1 or 2 papers today. I bought ALL of them.

Ingenious plan, Iona. Buy all of the newspapers, therefore he has to come over to read them.

 

[nehmeth]

Andy was on the cover of 1 or 2 papers today. I bought ALL of them.

Ingenious plan, Iona. Buy all of the newspapers, therefore he has to come over to read them.

:clap

She's a sneaky one!!