BY JAMES BECK
Novak Djokovic can still hit a big serve at times, hit great forehands and backhands, make a pretty drop shot or certainly put away volleys most of the times. That’s if the guy on the other side of the net isn’t Carlos Alcaraz.
But Djokovic was only a shadow of his old image this time.
That was the way Sunday’s Wimbledon final went.
NO RABIT IN NOVAK’S HAT
Nevertheless, there was hope by the fans and some of the TV gang for Djokovic to pull a rabbit out of his hat when Alcaraz gave Novak another chance to make things interesting for the Novak fans.
And gave is the right word.
After Alcaraz took a quick 40-0 triple match point while serving with a 5-4 lead in the third set, he committed a double fault and four errors in succession to practically hand Djokovic the key to the set. But Novak wouldn’t accept the chance, even though Alcaraz missed a pair of lines and Novak won two other points in the best-of-seven tiebreaker. Alcaraz turned up the heat again and came away with a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) victory for his second straight Wimbledon championship and fourth Grand Slam title.
DJOKOVIC NEARS THE END?
With a record 24 Grand Slam titles maybe Novak might consider following Roger (Federer) and Rafa (Nadal) to the sidelines.
Alcaraz is just too good, having won a Grand Slam on all of the three surfaces, even the hard courts of New York. Only Djokovic’s favorite, the Australian Open, stands in Carlos’ way of a career Grand Slam.
It could happen possibly early next year Down Under. And the magic wand-owning Spaniard is still only 21 years old.
A WIN FOR THE AGES?
Yes, this one would go down as an easy win for the ages if Alcaraz had taken advantage of his 6-2, 6-2, 5-4 (40-0) lead against Djokovic.
The win still came fairly easy. It just wasn’t the 37-year-old Serbian great’s day.
Djokovic can take it easy and forget this loss. He still has seven Wimbledon titles and a record 24 Grand Slam titles.
The only questions are: Will Alcaraz remain so great on the court and healthy for the next 15 years or so?
And is there another magic man out there getting ready to step into his shoes one of these days?
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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.
