Novak Djokovic won the men’s title at Wimbledon 2018. In the final, the Serb clearly beat Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2 and 7-6 (3) in three sets, celebrating his fourth title on the Holy Turf.
In the final of the Wimbledon Men’s Final on July 15, 2018, three-time champion Novak Djokovic and the greatest Wimbledon finalist to date will face Kevin Anderson.
And it was the president of the ATP Players Council who got off to a better start in the match. On the other side, Anderson, who is also vice-president of the ATP Players Council, decided to start the match with his own serve and was promptly surprised with a break.
Anderson seemed nervous and nervous. A few frame balls and slight mistakes gave Djokovic a quick 2-0 lead. In the old “Djoker” manner, the Serb did not lean back despite the lead and continued to exert pressure. Anderson did not stand up to this and took another break for the 4:1.
After exactly 30 minutes of play, an Anderson forehand beaten far out sealed the 6-2 set win for twelve-time Major winner Djokovic.
The 32-year-old South African apparently had problems with his right elbow and seemed visibly dissatisfied with his game. Anderson lacked the consistency and presence that had distinguished him especially in the coup against Roger Federer and the marathon match against John Isner.
Another early break from Djokovic to a 1-0 lead was the logical consequence of too many mistakes made by his opponent. Djokovic was at the height of his career and always brought Anderson to Bredouille with great defensive work.
A further loss in the South African’s serve to 4-1 was the preliminary round in the second round, which the 2011, 2014 and 2015 champion secured with 6-2.
Anderson then tried to play more aggressively, continued into the court and took the balls early. Djokovic bravely countered the 32-year-old’s fast and powerful shots and forced Anderson to make further mistakes.
Perhaps it was also the record of the most games played in a tournament (332), which was broken during Anderson’s match, which robbed the South African of the necessary liveliness. There was not much to see of Anderson’s physical unapproachability during the tournament.
Nevertheless, Anderson was better in the match, held his service games and took the lead in the final for the first time. At 5-4, the underdog scored two break and set balls, which Djokovic could fend off with great points. Even two 7-5 break points were not enough for the South African to push Djokovic into the fourth set.
The decision in set three was to be the tiebreak in which Djokovic was to have the upper hand right from the start. The Serb turned his second match point into his fourth title on the Holy Lawn at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club with a 7-3 win.
For Anderson, the Serb on the other side was simply too strong on this final day, while Djokovic is back in the tennis Olympus after his heavy comeback and has defied all his critics. In unbelievable manner.
BBC expert Boris Becker had praised his former protégé before the semi-final classic against Rafael Nadal: “Novak plays the best tennis here since his comeback. “And it’s his emotions that make him so strong these two weeks.” Djokovic ex coach Becker should be right about his assessment.
For Djokovic it is the fourth title in Wimbledon and the 13th in his Grand Slam collection. The Serb thus closes in on Pete Sampras, who, with 14 major titles, ranks third in the list with the most Grand Slam victories. Only Rafael Nadal (17) and Roger Federer (20) are positioned in front of the American.