Novak Djokovic is the man who has played the most Grand Slam finals. This was a difficult feat for the Serbian, but he won the battle with Cameron Norrie, the sun and the public (2-6,6-3,6-2, and 6-4). He will now seek Nick Kyrgios, his seventh title at Wimbledon, and 21st major tournament overall.
After a poor first set in which he made 12 unforced mistakes, the Serbian won the semifinal to correct his course and beat Norrie, who was forward-looking and believed he could deliver one of the greatest tournament surprises. The round was not the reason, but the opponent. Norrie, who is completely new to this type of scenario, had never reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam Grand Slam until this Wimbledon.
Djokovic was a serious, sometimes disoriented player who was annoyed by the sun. He also lost the confidence of the public who wanted his downfall. Norrie, who won one set but fell apart in three, was able to defeat Djokovic’s push. Djokovic made no mistakes and the match was on his side. He made only four errors in the second set, and five in the third. He didn’t concede another break point after he had lost the first set.
His level was rising and destabilized Norrie who no longer felt the need to win points or games with the public. Djokovic was a consummate professional and could not be stopped. He completed the task in two and a quarter hours, but he secured his place in final without mismatches. Although not very bright, he is confident in his game and his ability to overcome any adverse circumstances.
Djokovic must step up his game for Sunday’s eighth Wimbledon final. It will also be his 32nd Grand Slam overall, one above Federer or Nadal. Djokovic will be facing a rested Nick Kyrgios. He was unable to play the semi-final against Rafael Nadal because of an abdominal injury.
This will be their third match against Canberra’s team, who beat them in Indian Wells 2017 and Acapulco 2017. It will be a different match this time, as Kyrgios will be playing in his first final after having played 30 major matches. The troubled Aussie has found a way of channeling her controversies and his tennis, and it has paid off in two of the most successful weeks of his career. Federer and Nadal would be pleased if he defeated Djokovic, who is currently on 27 wins here.
