I feel privileged to have just watched, albeit on television, the men's singles final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Another epic, absorbing and emotionally draining encounter to place alongside so many others which have marked this wonderful era of men's tennis. Like all genuinely great champions, Federer went down fighting, and it is perhaps a measure of his performance that the match extracted such a physical and emotional toll from Djokovic, who looked completely spent at the end, and barely had sufficient energy to lift the trophy!
When Federer won the first set, I thought to myself that this was great for the neutrals, because it would embolden Federer, and force Djokovic to dig deep. In the event, the match went its own wild and unpredictable way, with ebb and flow, and both men giving absolutely everything. Few other sports anywhere in the world have the capacity to deliver theatre like men's tennis currently does.
There was an interesting sub-plot, with Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, who had a few titanic scraps at Wimbledon in their time, sitting in the stands, working on the respective coaching teams of Novak and Roger.
Matches between Djokovic and Federer do not, at first glance, have quite the allure of Djokovic-Nadal or Nadal-Federer, because the contrast in styles and personalities does not appear to be there. Djokovic does not have the classical elegance of Federer, or the relentless intensity of Nadal, and I must admit that in the past I did not really warm to him as a player. He is one of those players whose style and qualities require closer scrutiny before they can be fully appreciated. Only then does one understand how his mental fortitude and all-round proficiency combine to form an almost deceptive brilliance.
As ever in matches of this rarefied level, it only took the merest lapse, or the slightest drop-off in form, for the pendulum to swing. This occurred towards the close of the third set, when Federer's level appeared to diminish slightly, and Djokovic got the bit between his teeth. Then in the fourth set the Serb went "walkabout" momentarily, and Federer took his chance.
It looked for a few horrible moments as though Djokovic might be hindered decisively by injury, after his fall near the baseline, but happily this proved not to be the case. It would have been a terrible anti-climax had this gripping contest fizzled out in such circumstances. The fifth set saw both players existing to a large extent on pure guts and adrenaline, playing almost from memory.
Both men greatly enhanced their reputations as tennis players and men today. What would other sports give to have such talented and noble participants in their arenas?
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