2019 Men’s Wimbledon Final: Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer

[calitennis127]

What other shot is he going to "go for"? Federer's positioning had basically closed the DTL... so he either goes cross court or tries an unlikely lob. Hardly mammoth bravery. Yeah, he executed perfectly under pressure. There wasn't huge pace behind the approach. He didn't have to do a lot to get a play on the ball. He hit a good shot, made it under pressure.

Djokovic had enough time and space to go down the line if he had wanted, but that's besides the point, which is that his shot was ridiculously well-placed and was daring, especially for that moment. I recommend that you watch the replay. Djokovic's passing shot barely landed in. He could have hit that shot much more up the middle of the court where Federer could have at least gotten a racquet on it.

I grant that Federer's approach could have been much better. What I think you are missing is that in that moment (as we have seen in the past) Djokovic plays to win. He goes for the kill. I think he was thinking "winner" as soon as he saw Federer start to move toward the net. And then he hit that shot on a ridiculously sharp angle to ensure that Federer would not get a racquet on it.

You are talking as though he hit a weak passing shot and Federer dumped an easy volley in the net. I grant that would have been a choke. But Djokovic went for a daring winner there and executed. It wasn't the hardest shot in the world to set up but it was a) an aggressive attempt at a sharp-angle winner and b) therefore very impressive under the circumstances.

Let me ask you this: do you think Federer makes that passing shot if Nadal is up 40-30 there and hits a moonball approach shot that sits up? I doubt it.

 

[calitennis127]

Approach shot was fucking trash. No amount of idiotic posts from Cali or Mike changes that. Novak could've had a picnic before hitting that for an easy winner. He cut it closer than he needed to making it look heroic.

Right, so Djokovic put it where Federer could not get a racquet on it. Pretty good shot being down match point in the 5th set of a Wimbledon final.

 

[Carol]

I forgot another point (the last one):
Bulls focus on the game and training is absolutely unreal, could also said pathological. Point of view I know.
What I want to say is look at the success of Federer and Novak in tennis and also against Bull, and all that while having a live beside tennis and more important with a wife and children.
Can bull top this performance? No, he will go down in the same moment his training volume or focus drop. Even with it he couldn’t beat Novak h2h.
Sorry I went a bit sideline.

Can the 'machine' to keep that mentality too long? I don't think so. Federer and Novak have a wife and children but obviously tennis is their live too, same like Nadal has a girlfriend (soon his wife) he is very close with his family, he likes to fish and to play golf, he likes to live is his Country, he has many good friends around and enjoying his life, definitely he has a live behind tennis too

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Took a day off to recover. But, feel even worse today after looking at the stats. Federer hit 40 more winners than Novak. The difference in the differential is +30 (as Fed had 10 more UFE). That is not a minor difference. That is a huge difference. Federer had 15 more Aces than Novak. In Aces - DF differential, the difference between them is +18. Federer won not one or two more, but 14 points more than Novak in total. In almost every category in the stat, Fed is leading and in many by considerable amount.

………...But, he failed in the only statistics that matter, viz., the number of sets won.

It is very clear that this loss is not due to Fed being outplayed, it is not because Fed is 6.5 years older than Novak, it is not because he got tired by playing in RG. This loss is purely because Fed did not have the belief deep within him that he can actually beat Novak. That lack of belief translates into poor play at big points.

 

[DarthFed]

Right, so Djokovic put it where Federer could not get a racquet on it. Pretty good shot being down match point in the 5th set of a Wimbledon final.

This is silly. It's kind of like saying giving up a wide open game winning layup in the last second isn't bad defense. Hey the guy still had to make the layup in a pressure moment right?

 

[Federberg]

Took a day off to recover. But, feel even worse today after looking at the stats. Federer hit 40 more winners than Novak. The difference in the differential is +30 (as Fed had 10 more UFE). That is not a minor difference. That is a huge difference. Federer had 15 more Aces than Novak. In Aces - DF differential, the difference between them is +18. Federer won not one or two more, but 14 points more than Novak in total.
In almost every category in the stat, Fed is leading and in many by considerable amount.

………...But, he failed in the only statistics that matter, viz., the number of sets won.

It is very clear that this loss is not due to Fed being outplayed, it is not because Fed is 6.5 years older than Novak, it is not because he got tired by playing in RG. This loss is purely because Fed did not have the belief deep within him that he can actually beat Novak. That lack of belief translates into poor play at big points.

I think this is more surmountable than the problems Roger had against Rafa. He only needs to go back and watch this match. When he sits down and really believes what he's seeing... that he actually really was the better player... he'll be ready to take Novak on again. I'm not saying he'll execute, but it seems to me from everything I've heard he has the opportunity to fight back in the deteriorating H2H. The old man keeps entertaining us..

 

[Bonaca]

That is exactly what I think about Novak, he is the player I mostly unlike because many reason too, his behavior in the court and out of the court, he is a very weird character. Besides Nadal I like Murray, Federer too but not his fans (ugh) and some others players more than Novak without any doubt. And about that final Federer played better than Novak but sometimes the luck goes more in one side than the other like it happens several times and it happened in Wimbledon 2018. And yes, Nadal had the worst draw but he made it to look easier because the way he played to all of them. And come on! Novak "well oiled machine" is very known and superior to any payer of the tour but mentally even more

He also get easy in the final of Melbourne this year, looked all very easy. Beat everyone on the way. Then he played Novak. Also the lucky on

Can the 'machine' to keep that mentality too long? I don't think so. Federer and Novak have a wife and children but obviously tennis is their live too, same like Nadal has a girlfriend (soon his wife) he is very close with his family, he likes to fish and to play golf, he likes to live is his Country, he has many good friends around and enjoying his life, definitely he has a live behind tennis too

what about the tics and psychological issues?

 

[calitennis127]

This is silly. It's kind of like saying giving up a wide open game winning layup in the last second isn't bad defense. Hey the guy still had to make the layup in a pressure moment right?

Bad comparison. What Djokovic did was much harder. A lay-up would be more like an easy overhead or forehand put-away off a very short ball.

But since you keep bashing Federer for that point, allow me to ask: what exactly would you have preferred that he do there? What do you think his strategy should have been on match point?

 

[Bonaca]

I think this is more surmountable than the problems Roger had against Rafa. He only needs to go back and watch this match. When he sits down and really believes what he's seeing... that he actually really was the better player... he'll be ready to take Novak on again. I'm not saying he'll execute, but it seems to me from everything I've heard he has the opportunity to fight back in the deteriorating H2H. The old man keeps entertaining us..

Surely he could beat this version of Novak. Was the better player most of the Match. But didn’t. Don’t sure he will get such opportunity. But he is part of the goat group and will try it again, at least one more time at Wimbledon.
US open I don’t see his chances as high as in London, hard courts are more physically and there are more opponents that could make him problems before facing one of the two!

 

[Carol]

He also get easy in the final of Melbourne this year, looked all very easy. Beat everyone on the way. Then he played Novak. Also the lucky on

what about the tics and psychological issues?

All the great ones have tics, ones are showing in public like Jordan did, Messi and others too and another ones are doing in private. Others like to hug trees, to participe in sectas with certain “guru”, to go out with actresses and another things, each one with his own.....

 

[DarthFed]

Bad comparison. What Djokovic did was much harder. A lay-up would be more like an easy overhead or forehand put-away off a very short ball.

But since you keep bashing Federer for that point, allow me to ask: what exactly would you have preferred that he do there? What do you think his strategy should have been on match point?

Actually go for a big serve (common sense) actually go for more on a return that didn't quite neutralize the point (common sense) and then when he hit the shot so poorly, just realize it wasn't good enough and don't aimlessly go to net to get passed like he's Roddick (common sense). The common denominator here is he played it safe on serve and safe on approach shot and then made the idiotic decision to come to net and hand the point on a silver platter. It's funny this is even a point of contention. Djokovic is almost never missing that shot.

 

[calitennis127]

Actually go for a big serve (common sense) actually go for more on a return that didn't quite neutralize the point (common sense) and then when he hit the shot so poorly, just realize it wasn't good enough and don't aimlessly go to net to get passed like he's Roddick (common sense). The common denominator here is he played it safe on serve and safe on approach shot and then made the idiotic decision to come to net and hand the point on a silver platter. It's funny this is even a point of contention. Djokovic is almost never missing that shot.

I agree on going for a bigger serve but as for the rest I think what you are totally missing is the context. Match points in the 5th set of a Grand Slam final are not always moments of strategic clarity.

Roddick came to net aimlessly over the course of matches in which he was getting destroyed with passing shots. Federer, on the other hand, had a very strong day at net yesterday (he won 51 total net points). He had reason to think/feel that something good would happen if he went to net and Djokovic did an amazing job placing a shot where he could not touch it.

You are vastly underrating the quality of Djokovic's passing shot, especially at that moment.

But you just told me a bunch of things Federer should not have done (classic 20-20 hindsight).

So I am asking you: if you were Coach Darth and you had a chance to tell Federer what to do on the match points, what would you tell him to do that would not be horrible, pathetic, etc. in your eyes? If Federer had stayed back and gotten into an 8-12 shot rally and hit an error, would that have been more tolerable to you?

 

[Fiero425]

Actually go for a big serve (common sense) actually go for more on a return that didn't quite neutralize the point (common sense) and then when he hit the shot so poorly, just realize it wasn't good enough and don't aimlessly go to net to get passed like he's Roddick (common sense). The common denominator here is he played it safe on serve and safe on approach shot and then made the idiotic decision to come to net and hand the point on a silver platter. It's funny this is even a point of contention. Djokovic is almost never missing that shot.

We've definitely seen Nole play better! He wasn't getting that many free points off serves or returns as in the past! He played just well enough to avoid going down to the old guy! Roger had this match, but you have to call it a choke! All he needed to do was get a 1st serve in on those 2 MP's; Nole was ready to give it to him, but was allowed to come all the way back in 5 TB'r sets! I was going to skip updated Nole's blog, but he helped his record and his fans who're backing him! :whistle:

 

[Mastoor]

Čestitam također , veliki uspjeh i ako nije igrao vrhunski , što bi tek uradio da je igrao blizu 100%.

Let’s hope he find his A Game on hard courts, let the dream go on!!

Držimo fige! Pozdrav

Thanks so much. I would too like Novak to always play like he played in last two matches in Melbourne, but for some reason he wasn't even close to that ever since. I'd like him to find that form by USO.

 

[Jelenafan]

Zverev has more masters titles (3-2) and shares a YEC triumph with Nalbandian. Think about it. So, if you're looking at hard career accomplishments in terms of heavyweight silverware, then Sascha has already surpassed him, at the age of 22. The book on Zverev is only at the prologue stage.

I used to diss Nalbandian a bit when Cali was around, but I actually loved him as a player. The guy was talented... just not anywhere close to Cali's measurement.

I’m willing to say a Wimbledon final (winning 6 matches) is the equivalent of a Masters win.
Listen, Nalbandian got to a Wimbledon final ( don’t they get a silver plate for that?) , 4 Major semifinals and 4 Major quarterfinals. In fact he got to SF’s or better for all 4 Majors. While I agree Zverev has a ways to go in his career, I wouldn’t necessarily bet the farm he’ll have a better Majors record than Nalbandian when all is said and done.

 

[MikeOne]

Took a day off to recover. But, feel even worse today after looking at the stats. Federer hit 40 more winners than Novak. The difference in the differential is +30 (as Fed had 10 more UFE). That is not a minor difference. That is a huge difference. Federer had 15 more Aces than Novak. In Aces - DF differential, the difference between them is +18. Federer won not one or two more, but 14 points more than Novak in total. In almost every category in the stat, Fed is leading and in many by considerable amount.

………...But, he failed in the only statistics that matter, viz., the number of sets won.

It is very clear that this loss is not due to Fed being outplayed, it is not because Fed is 6.5 years older than Novak, it is not because he got tired by playing in RG. This loss is purely because Fed did not have the belief deep within him that he can actually beat Novak. That lack of belief translates into poor play at big points.

THIS IS THE GREATNESS of Novak Djokovic!!! To be able to defeat the supposed GOAT and 8 time wimbledon champ at his best when he (djokovic) is below his best. Novak will surpass all records and own nadal and federer h2h. He has toppled federer 3 times in wimbledon finals and beaten nadal at RG. He is on his way to being undisputed GOAT.

 

[don_fabio]

Unforced errors in 3 TBs:

Fed 11
Novak 0

This is insane stat.

 

[Mastoor]

THIS IS THE GREATNESS of Novak Djokovic!!! To be able to defeat the supposed GOAT and 8 time wimbledon champ at his best when he (djokovic) is below his best. Novak will surpass all records and own nadal and federer h2h. He has toppled federer 3 times in wimbledon finals and beaten nadal at RG. He is on his way to being undisputed GOAT.

In addition to what you said I think it should be also pointed out that Novak has winning h2h with all his rivals without playing a single home match against them. The crowd was for his rivals in every match, so it was very much home for them, away for him.

 

[MikeOne]

Unforced errors in 3 TBs:

Fed 11
Novak 0

This is insane stat.

11 ufes is normal, 0 is not normal.. novak = GOAT

 

[Fiero425]

Unforced errors in 3 TBs:

Fed 11
Novak 0

This is insane stat.

It's a skillful gift and a curse IMO! When Nole plays this kind of lockdown tennis just hoping to outlast an opponent, it's what's cost him more than a few times when players not of his caliber can hit him off the court! Del Po, Murray, & Wawrinka have snuck up on him in major moments of a tourney and the Olympics! It wasn't because he was playing poorly, but they refused to miss and he got frustrated! Nole definitely wasn't at his best yesterday even though he won! Roger won more points and wasn't really in danger of being passed at the net! If anything Roger should have had this match sewn up in 4 but for those bad errors in all 3 TB's! The MP's SHB a formality, but he couldn't get a 1st serve in TWICE! He will definitely be thinking about this one along with those 2 USO SF's with MP's and serving for it! :whistle: