So Close, Yet So Far For Federer

In an epic Wimbledon final that lasted nearly 4 hours, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 to claim his 7th Grand Slam and also won his 2nd Wimbledon Championship 3 years after defeating Rafael Nadal.

This was a match which had everything; the tension, the drama, the comeback, edge of the seat thrill and what not. If Federer was firing aces, Djokovic was equally good at passing shots whenever Federer came up to the net.

The match saw Federer playing like he used to in his glory days, his famous serve followed by that immaculate volley was seen coming into the fray. The one handed backhand was being played with very good control and precision and he mixed it up with some subtle drop shots. However, Djokovic’s strength, stamina, as well as his measured ground strokes were equally up to the task.

Till the 3rd set tie-breaker, it was even-stevens and no player was ready to give an inch for the other to manoeuvre into. It was modern tennis at its very best.

The best part of the match was surely the gruelling 4th set. Djokovic broke early in the fourth game to go 3-1 up, and many would’ve believed that the end was neigh. Federer, though, was in no mood to give up so early and broke serve in the next game to make it 3-2. However, his glory was short-lived, with Djokovic breaking again to establish supremacy and bring the score to 4-2.

This made things rather feisty, since in the earlier 3 sets, serve was broken only once. Federer, serving at 2-5 down, went on to win the next 5 games and take the set 7-5 and therefore taking the match into the final. Not only did he break Djokovic’s serve twice, but he also saved a match point.

The way Federer fought back reminded everyone of exactly why he’s called a champion player and one of the best in the world. It took all his fans and tennis lovers down the memory lane and back in time when he was ruling over the Tennis courts.

With the 4th set won and Djokovic taking medical attention just before the start of 5th set, the momentum was well and truly with Federer, and it looked as if he’ll make history by winning his 8th Wimbledon title but unfortunately, it was not be. After break points being saved by both the players in the 8th and 9th game, Federer serving at 4-5 to stay in the match lost his serve. And that was it. Novak Djokovic was crowned the 2014 Wimbledon Champion and was proceeded to shedding the custom tears of happiness.

It was heartbreak for Federer and his fans. To think that he fought so hard, gave whatever he had and eventually, a lapse in the last set cost him a place in the history books. He was playing his best tennis in some time during the course of this tournament. With Federer demolishing opponents at will and Djokovic seemingly being hustled by some of the lesser ranks, one could be forgiven for starting to believe that Federer would end the day victorious.

Federer may get his chance next year, but for now, it is time for Djokovic to celebrate and bask in the glory.