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WIMBLEDON, England — This has been the age of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but no matter who lifts the trophy at Wimbledon this year, the computer rankings will reflect a changing of the guard Monday. For the first time in more than seven years, someone other than Federer or Nadal will hold the top spot in men’s tennis.
“They don’t give you a lot of chances to become No. 1,” Novak Djokovic said. “So I guess you need to lose only one match in seven months to get there. If you can do that, then well done.”
Well done then to Djokovic, the 24-year-old Serbian who is 47-1 this season. Well done for raising his game and keeping it there — tournament after tournament — despite all the strains and drains of the tour. Well done for achieving his boyhood dream on Friday in style by absorbing all of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s power, showmanship and momentum on Centre Court and winning, 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-7 (9), 6-3.
In his first Wimbledon final, Djokovic will face Nadal, the No. 1 seed and defending champion, who defeated Andy Murray, the No. 4 seed from Britain, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4, in Friday’s other semifinal.
The match between Djokovic and Tsonga was one in which the spectacular eventually began to seem routine: the diving volley that could only be countered with another diving volley, the slide that turned into a split, the big gap closed in a blink, the tiny target nailed with precision, the big threat handled with bravado.
WIMBLEDON, England — This has been the age of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but no matter who lifts the trophy at Wimbledon this year, the computer rankings will reflect a changing of the guard Monday. For the first time in more than seven years, someone other than Federer or Nadal will hold the top spot in men’s tennis.
“They don’t give you a lot of chances to become No. 1,” Novak Djokovic said. “So I guess you need to lose only one match in seven months to get there. If you can do that, then well done.”
Well done then to Djokovic, the 24-year-old Serbian who is 47-1 this season. Well done for raising his game and keeping it there — tournament after tournament — despite all the strains and drains of the tour. Well done for achieving his boyhood dream on Friday in style by absorbing all of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s power, showmanship and momentum on Centre Court and winning, 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-7 (9), 6-3.
In his first Wimbledon final, Djokovic will face Nadal, the No. 1 seed and defending champion, who defeated Andy Murray, the No. 4 seed from Britain, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4, in Friday’s other semifinal.
The match between Djokovic and Tsonga was one in which the spectacular eventually began to seem routine: the diving volley that could only be countered with another diving volley, the slide that turned into a split, the big gap closed in a blink, the tiny target nailed with precision, the big threat handled with bravado.
