By Chris Oddo | Monday, July 7, 2014
After defeating Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final, Novak Djokovic tells reporters that it was the best he's ever been a part of.
Photo Source: AFP
Novak Djokovic famously outlasted Rafael Nadal in a five-hour and 53-minute final at the 2012 Australian Open, but after the Serb defeated Roger Federer 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 5-7, 6-4 to win his second Wimbledon title on Sunday, he was quick to say that the grueling epic down under was not the best Grand Slam final he’s ever been a part of.
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That nod goes to the 2014 Wimbledon final. Can you say instant classic? Djokovic can.
“Sincerely, this has been the best quality Grand Slam final that I ever been part of,” 14-time Grand Slam finalist Djokovic told reporters on Sunday. “I've had a longest final against Nadal in the Australian Open 2012. But quality-wise from the first to last point, this is definitely the best match.”
Djokovic and Federer combined for 133 winners against only 56 errors during the three-hour and 56-minute epic.
During their Australian Open odyssey, Djokovic and Nadal combined for 101 winners and 140 unforced errors, but it is widely known that Wimbledon’s scorekeepers are notoriously generous in their determination of what constitutes an unforced error. Additionally, the faster grass surface will typically allow for a much higher winner count.
None of that seemed to matter to Djokovic, who claimed his seventh Grand Slam title and regained the ATP's No. 1 ranking with the victory.
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“Roger played very well, I thought, in a very high level,” Djokovic said. “He showed why he's a champion. He showed a fighting spirit, composure in important moments when he was a break down. When I was serving for the match, he came in and played his best game. I didn't think I did much wrong there.”