Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer kept the kids at bay, and they will now get to continue their long rivalry when they meet for the men’s Championship at Wimbledon. And a rivalry it is; their head-to-head is 16-18 in favor of the Swiss. They’ve met three times this year with Fed leading 2-1, and they haven’t met in a major final since the U.S. Open in 2007.
The top seed was on fire at the start of his semifinal against Grigor Dimitrov, landing 19-straight first serves. After closing out the first set, things got tricky. When Nole would grab leads, he would allow Grisha back in. It’s a trend we’ve all seen in his recent matches especially at the majors. The match would go from patches of solid play and acrobatic moves to strange errors and tentative ball striking. Both ballers struggled to find consistent form – blame the wind, the moment, whatever. It was more about survival than beautiful tennis, and in the end the Serb was the last man standing. He won 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(7).
What the Nole-Grigor match lacked in consistency, the Federer-Raonic match lacked in tension. It was always going to be a tall order (get it – TALL???) for the Canadian to beat the 7-time champ. Even though his cannonball of a serve is tough on the grass, Federer doesn’t mind the challenge. In fact, he seems to relish the challenge a big server presents on the grass (see: Roddick, Philippoussis). Fed started strongly, breaking right away, and he was able to expose Milos’ movement throughout the match. The former top baller also attacked the net successfully which he has been doing the entire fortnight. In the end, Federer’s game was all too much for the Canadian to handle in his first major semifinal, and he won 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. For Milos, it would be good to see him develop more grit and stubbornness in his matches, something his countrywoman, Eugenie Bouchard, has in spades. Maybe next time - and I do think there will be a "next time" for him.
Unlike these two semifinal matches, I think the final will be very competitive and high quality. At least I’m hoping so since the men’s draw hasn’t had the same level of quality as the women’s draw this year (a nice change actually). I mean, it's the finals of Wimbledon and both ballers will leave it all out there. They each have a lot on the line; the Serb could regain the number one ranking from Rafael Nadal with a win and reestablish himself at the majors, and Fed could add to his record haul of 17 majors and create more distance between Rafa, who sits at 14, and him. Basically, IT'S ALL ABOUT RAFA. So, vamos!!
There certainly won’t be any surprises between the two; but based on today’s form and their stats coming in, you’d have to give the edge to Federer.
Remember how I mentioned there were times Nole and Grisha entertained with some acrobatic moves? This wasn't one of them. They brought their best stuff – it just wasn’t their tennis.
MARIA SHARAPOVA'S REACTION FROM THE BALLER BOX WON WIMBLEDON.
Lastly, my thoughts go out to Vicky Duval, her family, and friends. The 18-year old, who memorably knocked out Sam Stosur in the first round of the US Open last year, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. It was reportedly caught early and she's currently undergoing treatment. The prognosis is good. Apparently she was told of the diagnosis before the first round of qualifying at Wimbledon but decided to continue. She went on to make the main draw and defeated the 29th seed Sorana Cirstea before bowing out to Belinda Bencic. The outpouring of support from the tennis community was immediate:
Thoughts & prayers are with @Vicky_Duval95 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma--> http://t.co/o7V6kXfo2C #WTA
— WTA (@WTA) July 4, 2014
Thoughts and prayers go out to @vicky_duval95 and her family. I know you can beat this, stay positive and do what you do! X
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 4, 2014
She is a great fighter and I believe she will get through this! All prayers out to Vicky Duval! Hoping she recovers soon!
— Kristina Mladenovic (@KikiMladenovic) July 4, 2014
Prayers are out to Vicky Duval. Hoping she recovers soon
— Madison Keys (@Madison_Keys) July 4, 2014
Ive known Vicky since we were 10 and I know she is a very strong girl and a great fighter and she will get through this! #FightForVicky
— Monica Puig (@MonicaAce93) July 4, 2014
Thinking about Victoria Duval during this hard time in het life! X
— Kim Clijsters (@Clijsterskim) July 4, 2014
@vicky_duval95 these things are so unfair. We're all thinking of you. God speed! xx
— Laura Robson (@laurarobson5) July 4, 2014
.@vicky_duval95 is a fighter and she will approach this new challenge with a plan and a conviction to win. Thoughts go out to her & family.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) July 4, 2014
[Photo(s) credit: Getty Images, EPA]
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