so he does! The stones to take that on! It tickled the whitewash too, but Djokovic wins the next two points for advantage! Here we go. OK, hang on folks: a poor second serve allows Djokovic to punish a forehand winner down the line and this is the match – if Tistsipas is broken he’s done for, so Djokovic tantalises him with the chance to his a backhand winner down the line and on the run. Still, a shadow-aided service winner makes 30-all, then another drop is too good – again, Djokovic gets there but this time he can only get the angle to flick it wide. Anyhow, at 15-all Tsitsipas hits a drop – I’m not sure many have worked for him today, but this is a goodun – except Djokovic screeches after it and though Tsitsipas reaches his riposte, he can’t force it around the net post. A big serve and two colossal forehands later, it’s deuce – that’s a monumental effort – and two points later, it’s 4-3! I think it’s really important to be clear that Tsitsipas absolutely has not bottled this – people can be keen to assume it when a player loses a lead – he’s just run out of flow, form and energy.ĭjokovic (6)6-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 2-1 Tsitsipas* A long shadow now encroaches on the court, down almost half of one side – it’s annoying to see on a screen so is presumably annoying to see when exhausted and trying to hit a tennis ball. So Tsitsipas tries a drop, Djokovic chases it down and finds a fine riposte, they exchange at the net, and Tsitsipas knocks a winner into the space. Anyway, we’re very quickly ay 15-40 – these are virtual championship points – and Djokovic gets him moving along the line. Djokovic hasn’t peppered him with winners, he’s just hit to within half a foot of the baseline every time he’s needed to – as we said at the outset – and let physical and mental fatigue do the rest. Djokovic (6)6-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 4-3 Tsitsipas* I say that, but I don’t actually think he’s tossed this – as I said earlier, you don’t turn up for your first major final, destroy Novak Djokovic in straights, then disappear on the sesh with your boys, and I don’t think Tsitsipas has the gas for a four or five-setter in this context.
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