Against Djokovic in the French Open final on Sunday, Murray again showed that he has the game to have been a serial victor had it not been his misfortune to cross paths with three of tennis’s greatest players.
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In a Tennis Podcast to review the men’s and women’s French Open finals, we flash back to when presenter David Law interviewed Federer in August 2010, while the great man was the same age as Djokovic is now (29), and on 16 Grand Slam titles.
He duly drew a heart into the clay with his racket, mirroring Gustavo Kuerten’s celebration when the Brazilian won the French Open in 2001, and dropped himself in the middle of it. Djokovic got the affable Kuerten’s approval, he said, while they were filming videos for a tournament partner.
Murray said: “This is something that is so rare in tennis”.
For all the achievements of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both men fell short of emulating Laver. Three came in finals, against Nadal in 2012 and 2014, against Stan Wawrinka a year ago.
Does this mean Djokovic is the G.O.A.T?
Legendary American Pete Sampras said Novak Djokovic has the “full package” as the Serbian continues to dominate men’s tennis.
In 2015, he won all the three major slams, Australian Open, The Wimbledon and The US Open, however, a defeat in the finals of the French Open barred him from completing a Career Slam and a Calendar Slam.
For 28 consecutive matches at majors, on hard, grass and clay courts, all has gone Djokovic’s way.
By contrast, Federer’s streak of 65 successive Grand Slams, stretching back to 1999, ended when a back injury ruled him out of the French Open while Nadal, plagued by injuries throughout his career, withdrew from Roland Garros after two rounds with a serious wrist injury.
“We’re all humans, and arriving so close like never before in my life to this trophy and winning it, I felt it”. But at 29, Djokovic is still fairly young. And again when he skipped from sideline to baseline to receive in the opening game – and, louder still, when Djokovic broke two-time major champion Murray to start.
Aside from the first game, Murray was ideal in that set, trying to become Britain’s first male champion in Paris since 1935. I didn’t feel too much pressure, honestly.
It sounded as if this were Belgrade, rather than a neutral site, and Murray complained that spectators were calling out between serves. Djokovic wanted the point replayed.
It certainly “sucked” for Murray when he was broken in the very first game to love. Djokovic clearly found a reserve of resolve.
20 – Grand Slam finals for Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic kept his foot on Murray’s throat, breaking in the first game of the fourth set as the second seed carried on a running argument with the umpire over the positioning of the overhead camera.
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If anyone can slow Djokovic’s inexorable progress, it will be likely be No. 2 Murray the only man, at the moment at least, who looks capable of going toe-to-toe with him for a set or two in best-of-five matches.
