Novak Djokovic’s 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-4 victory in the French Open showpiece saw him finally complete his set of slam titles and become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four trophies at the same time.
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Roy Emerson (12 Slams) – with six Australian, two French, two Wimbldons, and two US.
Djokovic went ahead in the championship match 2-1 after the third set, finishing off Murray with two consecutive backhands. “I felt the tension and excitement”.
“I have played some of my best tennis on clay, for sure, over the last few weeks and definitely last couple of years”, he said.
“Later on, I realised that in life, everything happens for a reason”, he said.
Djokovic found the level of play with which he has dominated men’s tennis and Murray had no answer. But it’s hard for me to reflect on what has happened before and what’s gonna happen after.
Andy Murray was proud to be part of history even though it meant another heartbreaking loss in a grand slam final. After the victory, Djokovic used the end of his racket to etch a big heart in the clay and told the crowd, “My heart will always be with you on this court”.
Novak, by virtue of his french open win, completed a career slam and presently holds all the major trophy at once. What he’s achieved, the last 12 months is phenomenal, winning all the Grand Slams in one year is an awesome achievement.
“He started”, Murray said, “to free up a little bit more”.
Murray looked primed to spring a shock on Court Philippe Chatrier when he recovered from not winning a point in his opening service game to take the first set in confident fashion. “It was flawless tennis”, Djokovic said. By the time he got up, Murray was climbing over the net to greet him. He’s also in what appears to be his prime, only two weeks past his 29th birthday, demonstrating in Paris that his body-contorting, no-ball-gets-past-me defense, best-in-the-world returns and improved serve are too much for most every opponent to handle.
Djokovic was the victor against Britain’s Andy Murray in four sets 3-6, 6-1, .
Despite their declining powers, Djokovic insists he owes Federer and Nadal a great debt for pushing him closer to a historic calendar sweep which could also become a “Golden Slam” should he win the Olympics in August.
Murray, fit as a flea at 29, might have stepped into that vacuum if not for Djokovic. But on the third, Djokovic held his nerve and rallied until Murray missed.
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Murray will begin the grass-court season at Queen’s, where he has featured for the past eight years, on June 13 before embarking on another Wimbledon campaign. In the second set, whenever Murray won a long, sustained rally, Djokovic would quickly extinguish the excitement with a ridiculous serve or a attractive forehand that nobody playing tennis today can ultimately handle. The final score: 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
