Novak Djokovic claimed the seventh Wimbledon title over Nick Kyrgios, beating the Australian 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 after three hours. Kyrgios gave his best to challenge the more experienced opponent in his first Major final, but could only take one set, leading Djokovic to his 21st Major crown.
Thus, Novak is only one Grand Slam title behind Rafael Nadal and one Wimbledon crown behind the leader of the Open Era, Roger Federer. Novak fended off five of his six break chances and grabbed two breaks in sets two and three to get closer to the finish.
The Serb kept his cool in the fourth set tie break to seal the deal and lift the trophy, his fourth in a row at Wimbledon. Nick played at a high level in the first set to win it 6-4 in 31 minutes. Kyrgios controlled his punches and emotions and made the difference with a single break.
Both players served in excess of 70%, with the returners allocating 12 points in ten games. Nick capitalized on seven and converted them into the coveted break that put him in front. The Aussie stayed focused from the first to the last game, firing 14 winners and four unforced errors and making an impressive start in his Major final debut.
Both players served well in the opening four service games, with Nick holding at love with a booming serve in the fourth to keep up with the opposition. Kyrgios passed Djokovic at the net for two break chances in game five and converted the second after Novak’s double fault for a 3-2 lead.
Nick held love in the next two service games to build a 5-3 lead and keep the pressure on Novak. The Aussie held the lead after the deuce in game 10 with an ace down the T-line for 6-4 and a drive. The Serb raised his level in the second set and broke the opponent for the first time to level the aggregate score and gain confidence.
Nole won his seventh Wimbledon
The day after Novak Djokovic’s coronation at Wimbledon thanks to a victory in four sets against Nick Kyrgios, Mats Wilander delivered his analysis of the match for L’Equipe. A paper as often very interesting with the Swede, to be found in full in the columns of the national sports daily this Monday.
“Djokovic consciously decided to make the exchange last. Which, when facing a server as unique as Kyrgios, is incredible (…) Novak opted for patience. He wrote the script for the second part of the match: ‘Nick, you won’t beat me from the bottom.
I can play like that for eight hours. So you better serve monstrous. Go ahead, prove it to me.’ A very clever way to put pressure on your rival. No rush, no unforced errors: ‘I am giving you an exam. It’s up to you to come and get the title by risking a lot,'” wrote the Swedish consultant.
