Wimbledon Preview - Nadal Vs Djokovic - The perfect final?
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Two weeks of some jaw-dropping Tennis actions culminates on Sunday, when Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic battle it out in the final of the Wimbledon Championships at Centre Court.
It may or may not cross his mind, but Nadal can have some measure of revenge on Djokovic for ousting him from the top spot in the world rankings. Irrespective of who wins this match, the Serb will be the world number one according to the points system which is calculated on the basis of consistency.
The clash will be the fifth of the year between the two, with Djokovic winning all four of the previous matches which helped him to the second best start to a season in modern tennis history. Roger Federer is the man who put an end to that record, beating him in the semifinals of last month's French Open.
It will be Nadal's fifth straight Wimbledon final appearance, thanks to his 20-match winning streak in the tournament. He has won three championships at the All-England Club, and his experience could be the difference against Djokovic who will be playing his first final at the Centre Court.
Nadal admitted he has exceeded his own expectations.
It's something very important for me, said Nadal. I never thought I'm going to be able to play five finals. I think it's a great effort after years without a Spaniard playing the semi-finals or finals here.
However, he also admitted that Djokovic has the psychological advantage, despite playing his first Wimbledon final, as he has won the four previous encounters against Nadal this year.
His mental position over me today is probably a little better because he won the last four finals against me, said Nadal. I'll try my best. I think I'm playing well, really well.
Probably he's defending a little better than previous years but in my opinion, his general game, his total game, is really complete. His biggest ability is to take the ball very early. That's something very difficult. Roger does it very well too.
Winning the tournament will take his grand slam tally to 11, six behind Federer's record of 17. The 25-year-old is realistic above everything else, and stated that he is focused on the final, and not on the records.
I care about records, I care about statistics and I care about the history of tennis, but it's not the right moment for me to talk about that, said Nadal. I'm 25 years old. I am playing. We will see when I finish my careeer where I am in the history of tennis. Right now for me, my history is I am in the final of Wimbledon and very happy for that.
It promises to be a classic as Djokovic, in a very crucial year in his Tennis career, matched his potential after incredibly raising his game in 2011. Though it'll be his first Wimbledon final, he can go into the game without as much pressure as many expect him to face, due to the sheer brilliance of his game so far this year.
However, he hasn't played Nadal in a grand slam this year, and it is no secret that Nadal is a different prospect when it comes to a major. Djokovic agreed saying, It is quite different playing Nadal in a Grand Slam because it's a best-of-five. So physically we all know that he's superior and he's the strongest player around, the most prepared.
So I'm ready for long rallies, long points. I need to be physically ready, which I am. I feel fit in this moment and mentally obviously motivated. It's my first Wimbledon final. The four times I won against him this year can probably help me in some ways mentally prior to this match.
When asked whether being the top-ranked player increased the pressure, he responded matter-of-factly.
I don't need to prove anything to anybody, just to myself. He said.
I want to win this trophy. This has always been my dream, to be in the finals of Wimbledon, so I am very much looking forward to it, very much excited. There is no bigger challenge at this point in our sport than playing in the Wimbledon final against Nadal, who has won two out of the last three times here. It's a big match.
It promises to be a classic. A more evenly-contested final hasn't been played in recent times. Despite what the rankings say, the winner of the day will be regarded as the true number one. Everyone knows it, including the players. It all leads to quite an epic showdown.
The stage is set.
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