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Diasabra 10 Juli 2021

Back in Wimbledon final, Djokovic to face Italy’s Berrettini

Djokovic’s 30th major final, winner at 130 mph, punctu- couldn’t quite get the job
Berrettini’s first. Much as it ated by one of his many yells done.
was Djokovic’s 41st major of “Si!”
semifinal, Shapovalov’s first. Djokovic dropped his open-
From there, Hurkacz ing set this fortnight to Brit-
Cries of “Vai!” (Go!), “For- morphed from the guy com- ish teen Jack Draper — and
za!” (Let’s go!) and even “An- ing off the biggest wins of has won all 18 since.
(AP) — The victories diamo, amore mio!” (Let’s his career — against his
keep adding up for Novak Each set of his semifi- go, my love!) rang through idol, eight-time Wimbledon Djokovic’s 6-0 record head-
Djokovic: 20 in a row at nal was tight and intense. the All England Club’s main champion Federer, and No. to-head entering Friday did
Wimbledon since the start Each appeared to be within stadium earlier, support- 2 Daniil Medvedev — back not portend a fair fight. But
of the 2018 tournament, 20 Shapovalov’s grasp — until it ing Berrettini in his native to the player who arrived in Shapovalov is a lefty with
in a row in all Grand Slam was in Djokovic’s. tongue on his way to becom- England on a six-match los- a vibrant, sometimes vio-
matches since the start of ing Italy’s first Grand Slam ing streak. lent, swing, including when
this season. “I don’t think that the score- male finalist in 45 years. it comes to his one-handed
line says enough about the Berrettini (almost) couldn’t backhand. There’s hardly a
Make both of those streaks performance and about the With booming serves deliv- miss. Hurkacz (almost) hint of subtlety, nary a trace
reach 21 on Sunday, and match,” said Djokovic, who ering 22 aces, and powerful couldn’t connect. of playing it safe.
Djokovic will accomplish saved 5 of 5 break points in forehands helping compile a
something he’s been chasing the second set, then 3 of 3 in total of 60 winners, the No. By the finish, Berrettini had That backhand forced a
for years: He would tie his the third. 7-seeded Berrettini used an 24 winners off his forehand Djokovic error to conclude
rivals Roger Federer and Ra- 11-game run to grab a big alone, and merely 18 un- a 15-stroke exchange that
fael Nadal with a 20th major Talking about Shapovalov, lead and then held on to beat forced errors. Hurkacz’s to- provided Shapovalov with
championship, the most by a a 22-year-old from Canada, No. 14 Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, tals? Just 27 winners — four a break and a 2-1 edge. He
man in tennis history. Djokovic told the capac- 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-4 in the first on forehands — and 26 un- stretched that to 5-3 and
ity crowd at Centre Court: semifinal. forced errors. was two points from taking
The top-seeded Djokovic “We’re going to see a lot of the set in the next game, but
worked his way in and out him in the future, definitely.” “Obviously, the job is not When Hurkacz got broken couldn’t get closer.
of trouble against a much done yet. I want to get the for the first time, the 24-year-
younger, much-less-experi- Djokovic is most definitely trophy now that I’m here,” old from Poland sat for the Serving for the set at 5-4,
enced opponent Friday un- dominating the sport’s pres- said the 25-year-old Berretti- ensuing changeover and, be- Shapovalov faltered for
til eliminating No. 10 Denis ent. ni, who lost his only previous tween bites of a banana, mo- the first time — pushed by
Shapovalov 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5 Slam semifinal, at the 2019 tioned to his American coach, Djokovic’s indefatigable de-
to reach the final at the All If he can beat another new- U.S. Open. “But, just, it’s a Craig Boynton, to adjust the fense.
England Club. to-these-stages foe, No. 7 really unbelievable feeling.” seating arrangements in their
seed Matteo Berrettini of Ita- guest box. Djokovic broke, then was
“At this stage of my career, ly, in Sunday’s final, Djokov- He’s now on an 11-match better in the tiebreaker. Not
Grand Slams are everything, ic will collect a sixth champi- winning streak on grass As if that were the issue. perfect, but better.
really. They are the four onship at Wimbledon — his courts, including a title at the Cheered from the stands by
events that count the most third straight. Queen’s Club tuneup last his girlfriend, Ajla Tomlja- Mostly playing it safe and let-
in our sport. I’ve been very month, when he became the novic, who made it to the ting Shapovalov err worked
privileged to make history And then there’s this: He first man since Boris Becker quarterfinals this week, and just fine. Shapovalov double-
of a sport that I truly love. It already won the Australian in 1985 to win the trophy his parents and brother — faulted to end that set. He did
fills my heart every time that Open in February and the in his debut at that event. mom captured his on-court so again to get broken to trail
I hear there is something on French Open in June, so a Becker went on to triumph at interview with her cellphone 6-5 in the second. And again
the line that is historic. Ob- Wimbledon triumph would Wimbledon that year. — Berrettini was two points in the game that left him be-
viously it inspires me, it mo- put him three-quarters of the from winning in the third set. hind 6-5 in the third.
tivates me,” said Djokovic, way to a calendar-year Grand A key moment in the semifi-
a 34-year-old from Serbia. Slam, with only the U.S. nal, oddly enough, came less But Hurkacz extended the By then, Djokovic was
“But at the same time, I have Open remaining. No man than 20 minutes in, when contest, before Berrettini as- punching the air and shout-
to balance it with trying to has pulled that off since Rod Hurkacz was ahead 3-2 and serted himself again. ing, knowing the match’s
be present and in the mo- Laver in 1969. held a break point. That was end, and another final, was
ment and win only the next erased by Berrettini — no Shapovalov kept pushing near.
match.” First things first. This will be surprise — thanks to a service Djokovic to the brink, but