Novak Djokovic cruised to a 13th grand slam title after a 6-2 6-2 7-6(3) victory over Kevin Anderson as he is the lowest ranked player to win Wimbledon since Goran Ivanisevic.
The South African showed early signs of nerves as this was his first Wimbledon final, in what was a big occasion for Anderson. The early nervousness was telling as an Anderson double fault gave the 12 time grand slam champion an early break of serve in the first game. On the other side of the net from Anderson was a more experienced player in Novak Djokovic, who was appearing in his fifth Wimbledon final, and the Serb showed his calmness early on as he held comfortably.
The eighth seed was able to obtain an early service hold, however his lack of first serves was becoming a problem against one of the best returners of all time as the three time Wimbledon champion sealed a second break of serve to tighten his grip on the first set. The 12th seed secured the set in 31 minutes as he took a crucial step towards the Wimbledon title.
After the South African received treatment on his bicep, he had to come back out to face a sensational Djokovic, who caught Anderson off guard through his deep returns. The Serb’s backhand looked back to its best as he was reaching his peak at the right time. The three time champion’s flexible movement managed to catch Anderson off guard as the eighth seed was struggling to tactically keep up with Djokovic.
The 12th seed used his experience and big returning to seal another devastating break of serve as the Serb was cruising through this final. Despite Anderson’s better play including a couple of magnificent backhands, the former Wimbledon champion remained firm to seal a two sets to love lead.
The third set saw a much more energetic set from Anderson, who was using her serve to great effect with his power and placement causing Djokovic problems. The return from Anderson was also much better as his forehands allowed him to open up the court for the first time in the match. The Serb had to really work hard as he was forced to save five set points as Anderson was building momentum.
The South African failed to take his opportunities as the third set went to a tiebreak as Djokovic showed his strong mental edge. The 12th seed dominated the tiebreak through some brutal returns and backhand angles that made Anderson run from side to side around the court. The Serb completed his dominance after an Anderson forehand into the net sealed Djokovic’s 13th grand slam title.
The win means he will return to the top ten on Monday and is now one grand slam behind Pete Sampras. The Serb is also the lowest ranked player to win Wimbledon since Goran Ivanisevic.
After the match, Anderson and Djokovic both congratulated each other on a great two weeks:
Anderson: “In the first two sets Novak beat up on me pretty bad. I tried my best to keep at it, work hard, I came within a point or two of a fourth set, but Novak isn’t easy to play, a true champion of our sport so congratulations to him and his team.”
Djokovic: “I would like to congratulate Kevin, because he has had such a run. He didn’t play his best for two sets, but for the third set he was the better player and I was quite lucky to get through. I have had the privilege to be part of this final five times and won four titles – I am trying to enjoy the moment, cherish it with everyone close to me and everyone around the world.”
"For the first time in my life, I have someone screaming daddy, daddy!"
A 13th Grand Slam title for @DjokerNole, but this one will hold a special place in his heart 👪#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/sQRClwWT0i
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 15, 2018
It was a great effort from Anderson, who played well to beat Roger Federer and John Isner in two epic matches however it was Djokovic’s day and this grand slam proves that the Serb is back to his brilliant best and will prove a threat for the remainder of the season.
