Australian Open Final: 5:53 to History

Maybe Robert Downey Jr. should play Novak Djokovic in the movie. They could call it "Iron Man Does Melbourne."

For all world #1 Djokovic had accomplished over the past eighteen months -- the 43-match winning streak, Davis Cup title, 9-1 record against Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer and three slam titles -- he didn't have one of THOSE. You know, the sort of epic match that marks a player's career forever, standing as a testament to his abilities and heart. Against Nadal in the singles final of the 100th Australian Open, the Serb, with a whole lot of help from Rafa, more than took care of that.

Coming into the match with one less day to rest after his semifinal match -- a 4:50 marathon against Andy Murray -- than Nadal had to recover from his own four-set win over Federer, AO defending champion Djokovic seemed to be set up to have his back placed firmly against the wall from the outset. But as the two met in an Open era record third straight slam final, the fact that Djokovic compiled a 6-0 (all in finals) record against Rafa in '11, and sported a 9-2 mark against him since the summer of '09, lingered. The opportunity seemed to be there for Nadal, in the 30th meeting between the two, to finally turn the tide of the sport's current top rivalry back in his favor. If he couldn't do it under these circumstances, it seemed, then when would he?

In the early-going, Djokovic didn't seem quite himself, either. His game was spotty and, after winning the opening game of the match, he saw Nadal take four of the next five. Djokovic, his game slowly improving, got his lost break back, but Nadal swept the final three games to take the 1st set. Nadal's 133-1 record in slam matches after winning the opening set stood as another bit of history to contend with.

But Djokovic's ability to outhit and outmanuever Nadal soon proved too much. The Serb grabbed the next two sets 6-4 and 6-2, as no matter how well Rafa played, it didn't seem as if it would be enough to make a dent in Djokovic's ever better game. In the 4th set, as Djokovic went up 4-3, 40/love on Nadal's serve, the match seemed to be on the verge of ending. Only Nadal surged back and turned the match into one for the ages. After holding serve for 4-4, the coming rains caused a short delay as the roof on Rod Laver Arena had to be closed and the court dried. With the match suddenly moving inside for an air-conditioned and less humid atmosphere, the balls began to bounce just a bit higher than before, giving a reinvigorated Rafael an edge as the Aussie crowd spurred him on, wanting to see a five-set final. The set went to a tie-break, and Djokovic again seemed on the way to victory, leading 5-3 and having one serve remaining on his turn in the rotation. But Nadal got the mini-break, preventing Djokovic from reaching match point, then held his own two serves. One point from forcing a 5th, Nadal got another mini-break to take the tie-break at 7-5.

In the deciding set of the first 5th set the two have ever played against each other, Nadal's momentum continued as he took a 4-2, 30/15 lead against the seemingly tiring Serb. At that point, Rafa ran toward the net to reach a short ball and fired a backhand down the line into the open half of the court... and missed. Rather than have two game points for a 5-2 lead, it was 30/30 and Djokovic had been given the gift of life. He didn't turn it down. In fact, one point later it was apparent that his groundstrokes had suddenly regained their previous sting. The Serb's new life would prove deadly for the Spaniard, who was broken to get the set back on serve at 4-3. From there, Djokovic did what he did so often in '11, upping his game in a match's latter stages and taking home the victory. After three consecutive holds by the two, Djokovic got another break to go up 6-5. Serving for the match, he missed an overhead as he tried to quickly slip it into the open court past a charging-from-the-opposite-doubles-alley Nadal. But the momentum would not be turned again. Djokovic held, winning 5-7/6-4/6-2/6-7/7-5 to defend his AO title, collapsing onto his back when it was finally over.

Afterward, the Serbian "Iron Man" ripped off her shirt and howled toward the crowd, transforming from one superhero into another -- "The Incredible Hulk," only without the green body paint (though, I guess there's always one of his post-slam celebratory parties for that later). In the unending (2am was quickly approaching in Melbourne) post-match ceremony, as both players leaned against the net for support, looking as if they were ready to collapse (some kind soul finally gave them chairs and bottles of water), master of ceremonies Sandy Roberts called Djokovic a "man of steel." Keeping in line with the theme, I suppose Superman works just as well, also. But, of course, if Djokovic's performance is akin to a caped superhero, what should be said of Nadal's?

The fact is, Nadal literally willed this match into what it ultimately became, the longest (5:53) slam final in Open era history, as well as the latest (1:37am) to finish. It never really should have gone beyond four sets, and seemed fated to be seen as simply the latest example of Djokovic's mastery over the former #1. In the end, Djokovic DID win his fifth career slam, but the final will now go down as one of those matches where both players, in the eyes of the public, won on some level... even if the reality of the result will cut deeply for Nadal, who must now fully realize how Federer felt when he triumphed over his Swiss rival in "The Greatest Match Ever Played" at Wimbledon in 2008. While the Spaniard has managed to string together four consecutive appearances in slam finals, the current storyline on the ATP Tour revolves around the fact that he's now 0-3 in the last three against Djokovic.

Welcome to the new world where the Serbian former "prince" is threatening to become an all-time king. He'll head to Paris with a chance to make due on his one undelivered '11 promise and win at Roland Garros. It'd complete a Career Slam, string together a non-calender year "NoDjokoSlam" (hey, I keep tryin') and maybe make a TRUE season Grand Slam a possibility.

A month ago, it seemed pretty obvious that Djokovic could never top his ridiculously great '11 season with something even better in '12. I mean, HOW COULD HE? But, umm, well, maybe we should hold off on that sort of talk, huh?



**WON THREE CONSECUTIVE SLAMS**
1969 - Rod Laver, AUS (4 con.)
1993-94 - Pete Sampras, USA
2005-06 - Roger Federer, SUI
2006-07 - Roger Federer, SUI
2010 - Rafael Nadal, ESP
2011-12 - NOVAK DJOKOVIC, SRB

**CAREER SLAM FINALS - ACTIVE**
23...Roger Federer (16-7)
15...RAFAEL NADAL (10-5)
7...NOVAK DJOKOVIC (5-2)
5...Andy Roddick (1-4)
4...Lleyton Hewitt (2-2)
3...Juan Carlos Ferrero (1-2)
3...Andy Murray (0-3)
2...Robin Soderling (0-2)

**DJOKOVIC vs. NADAL IN SLAM FINALS**
2010 US Open - Nadal 6-4/5-7/6-4/6-2
2011 Wmbledon - Djokovic 6-4/6-1/1-6/6-3
2011 US Open - Djokovic 6-2/6-4/6-7/6-1
2012 Australian Open - Djokovic 5-7/6-4/6-2/6-7/7-5

**AO MEN'S TITLES*
[Open era]
4...Andre Agassi
4...Roger Federer
3...NOVAK DJOKOVIC
3...Mats Wilander
2...Boris Becker
2..Jim Courier
2...Stefan Edberg
2...Johan Kriek
2...Ivan Lendl
2...John Newcombe
2...Pete Sampras
2...Guillermo Vilas
[all-time]
6...Roy Emerson
4...Andre Agassi
4...Jack Crawford
4...Roger Federer
4...Ken Rosewall
4...Pat Wood
3...NOVAK DJOKOVIC
3...Rod Laver
3...Adrian Quist
3...Mats Wilander




All for now.

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U.S. Open Final: The Perfect Man for the Job

For four years, from 2007-10, Novak Djokovic finished the year as the #3-ranked player in the world. The would-be prince of men's tennis was the "third man" in a two-man game, looking in on an exceedingly exclusive club from a vantage point that was close, yet so far away, wondering if the game's kings would ever deign to allow him to sit at their table.

But those days are gone. Now, the Serb is the one calling the shots and the deposed former rulers of the sport can only gaze upon HIM from afar, muttering to themselves that "he can't possibly be this good for much longer." Yep, the shoe is now most definitely on the other foot... err, feet.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal didn't know the sort of monster they were unwittingly helping to create.

They say necessity is the motherhood of invention, and the height of The Great Wall built between Federer/Nadal and the rest of the men's field over most of the past decade surely called for no stone to go unturned if anyone was truly serious about scaling the monstrous edifice. Andy Murray didn't have the equipment to mount the offensive, while Andy Roddick's best days were behind him, making any concerted effort on his part impossible. Juan Martin del Potro reached the top of The Wall, only to tumble back down its side and be forced to begin his climb once again from Point A. For years, no man seemed up to the challenge. But, as it's turned out, the person closest to the barrier -- Djokovic -- was the perfect man for the job.

A man with a childhood shaped and uprooted by war, whose discovery of and love for a sport changed both his and his family's life, was hardly the sort to give up after seeing his climbing efforts thwarted time and time again. Over the course of 2011, the work that Djokovic has put in to improve each and every aspect of his game, both on court and off, has become more and more apparent. His forehand is bigger, and his serve more stable (no more routinely having more double-faults than aces for him). A great defensive player blessed with supreme quickness during his career, he's improved his stamina (and overall confidence) by improving his fitness via his (now almost humorously "cliched") gluten-free diet, allowing him to go into a potentially long match knowing that he needn't change his approach in order to play quicker points so he'll be physically up to finishing in the end. As a result, he can do battle with the likes of a grinding Nadal in a series of pounding, 25-shot rallies and get the best of the Spaniard as many -- or more -- times as his opponent gets the best of him. Already blessed with a remarkable return of service, this season he's found ways to break down opponents' serves in a way that have allowed him to put forth his most stunning stuff in the most crucial moments of matches (see vs. Federer's serve, down 2 MP in the Open SF). With few exceptions, Djokovic has been at his best when the points have meant the most.

Physically, Djokovic doesn't appear to be an overwhelmingly imposing figure. But with the improvement in literally every area of his game all coming together at the same time, the sum of Djokovic's parts have come to equal something pretty awesome. So much so that even Nadal can't fully believe that the Serb is going to be able to defend his newly-won kingdom as well or for as long as he and Federer did. Maybe Rafa's subtle questions about Djokovic's staying power at #1 will prove to be prescient. But, in the final of this year's U.S. Open, the future was NOW, as Djokovic's many skills culminated in a magnificent match that only served to prove that the Serb is the best tennis player on the planet.



The match wasn't "the greatest match ever played." Rafa had won that one a few years ago. It wasn't even a five-setter. But Djokovic/Nadal was one of the best-played slam finals you'll ever see. On a point-by-point basis, no inch was given. Everything had to be taken. One potential shift in momentum in the action was almost always immediately met by a turn back in the other direction. Even big leads (mostly by Djokovic) were built upon the labor of a series of sustained, bludgeoning groundstroke-filled, defensively-astounding rallies that lasted 20-30 strokes that could have gone in the favorable stat column of either player... until one finally outlasted the other. Personally, I don't think I've ever seen a big match that had more of those sorts of rallies than this one. During CBS's coverage of the final, Mary Carillo joked that the action was, "Just one big salute to physical fitness."

Most of those rallies were ultimately won by Djokovic, as he beat Nadal at his own game, one which got Rafa to #1 in the world and with which he won ten slam titles. A year ago, Nadal, who had focused his entire summer on winning the Open (even talking about his ultimate goal minutes after winning Wimbledon) was a serving machine in Flushing Meadows. His serve was broken just three times the entire tournament en route to the title. In this tournament, Nadal wasn't nearly the unstoppable force he was a year ago, but he improved in every match. In Monday's final, though, Djokovic broke his serve three times... in the 1st set. In the match, he managed to break the Spaniard eleven times. Yet, still, Nadal was legitimately fighting with a belief that he could defend his title into the 4th set.

In the first two sets, Nadal jumped to early 2-0 leads. But, both times, Djokovic immediately broke back one game after Rafa had managed to break HIS serve. In the 1st, the Serb won six games in a row to take the set. In the 2nd, on his sixth break point attempt, he broke Nadal in an eight-deuce, 17:15 game filled with the long, punishing, high-quality rallies that marked the match. Djokovic led the set 4-2, and very nearly 5-2, before Nadal stopped the momentum to hold for 4-3, then break for 4-4. But, again, Djokovic broke back immediately, then served out the stanza at 6-4 for a two-set to none lead.

In the 3rd set, Djokovic grabbed a quick break for a 2-1 lead, only to see Nadal break him to get back on serve one game later. But, again, for the fourth straight time, Djokovic got the break back immediately to get back on top at 3-2. The momentum shifts weren't over, though. After the Serb began Game #6 with a double-fault and fell down love/40 while seeming to be having issues with his back, Nadal broke again to knot the score at 3-3, then finally broke the break-back string by holding for 4-3. With Djokovic serving again, Nadal held another break point, but Djokovic held in a game highlighted by his claiming of a 31-point rally in which Nadal dragged him from side-to-side in the backcourt, only to see the Serb scramble to get every ball back, then punctuate his efforts by smacking a winner down the line. After the point, as he'd done when his huge crosscourt forehand return winner had saved the first of two match points against Federer in the semifinals, Djokovic turned to the crowd with open arms, pleading for a little appreciation for the effort. Once again, he got it. When he served wide, inducing a Nadal forehand error, he officially got the game, too, to knot things at 4-4. Two games later, Nadal smacked his racket with his fist after missing on a wide forehand that would have given him two break points. Djokovic held for 5-5, and the set eventually went to a tie-break. Nadal, as he'd done in the first two games in the previous sets, won the first two points to take a 2-0 lead in the TB. This time, he held on, winning 7-3 and seeming to have turned the match momentum in his favor.

During the changeover, Djokovic had a trainer briefly look at his back, then went out and held serve to start the 4th. He then immediately went to his chair for a medical timeout 3:40 into the match. After a full session while stretched out on his stomach on the court, with the trainer working on his back after the Serb had downed a few pain pills, Djokovic returned to the court and quickly got into another long tussle with Nadal. Was the timing of the medical timeout a bit of gamesmanship, coming just when he'd taken a slight advantage in the set after having lost the momentum of the match in the previous one? At the very least, it forced Nadal to wait to serve, slowed him down and quieted the hopped-up crowd hoping for a five-setter. In the first game after the timeout, Djokovic broke Nadal on his fifth break chance in the game to go up 2-0. He then held for 3-0. It was a lead that Nadal couldn't come back from. Djokovic broke him at love for a 5-1 lead, then closed out the match with a forehand winner one game later. Final score: Djokovic 6-2/6-4/6-7/6-1, in a hearty 4:10, as he claimed his third slam of 2011.



This time, though, Djokovic didn't have to "dance for his supper." In fact, he didn't need to dance at all. Clad in a cap emblazoned with FDNY, one day after the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and dressed in red, white and blue (sure, those are Serbia's colors, as well as the U.S.'s, but the symbolism surely wasn't lost on either him or the crowd), he was finally able to bask in the champion's spotlight in New York City just a few years after he'd first "broken through" the consciousness of American sporting fans with his on-court impressions of the game's greats, and then felt a bit of the crowd's ire when he'd dared to return (slightly) cross words from afar with the top American player at the time, Roddick. In 2011, though, more secure in his position both in and outside the game, Djokovic proved to be a natural at being the center of attention for all the right and pure reasons.

Thus, Djokovic's astounding season continues. At 64-2, he's still in line for the "best" (winning percentage-wise) season in ATP history. He's 9-1 combined against Federer and Nadal, including a undefeated 6-0 mark against Nadal in finals contested on all surfaces. Ah, what the dominance of the two "former Kings" has wrought. Even as the #3 player at the end of '10, the Serb needed to improve at least a bit in every area in order to move past BOTH Nadal and Federer. Against all odds, he's managed to do just that. As we've seen on the hard courts this season, Djokovic's road to the top is becoming more and more physically wearing. And the season is still months from being over. Because of his success in 2011, come 2012, it'll likely be even more difficult for him to maintain such an edge on the field.

Once again after a slam final on Monday, Nadal sent a not-entirely-veiled message to Djokovic about the future, and how tough it'll be for him to live up to what he's done this season. After losing the Wimbledon final to the Serb, the Spaniard admitted that Djokovic was the best player in the world, but threw in the "at the moment" phrase at the tail end of the praise. After the Open, he noted how Djokovic's near-perfect season would likely be "impossible to repeat." Both, technically, were true statements, and maybe Nadal wasn't trying to get into Djokovic's head as he's admitted that Djokovic has sort of gotten into his. But after years of watching Federer's subtle messages about the true hierarchy in the men's game, one can't help think that Nadal has learned something from his friendly rival when it comes to maintaining his own aura, while warning everyone about getting ahead of themselves about another player's ability to be dominant over the long-term, even after a loss (or six) against said player.

While the last nine months haven't allowed Djokovic, in historical terms, to race past the two men who've been involved in the "Greatest of All Time" discussion the last few years, in 2011, the sum of HIS parts equal up to the sum of BOTH their's. Combined. Maybe in a few months, he'll go down as the best there's ever been in a single year. But even if that doesn't happen, it won't matter.

Djokovic is the best there IS. Today. And, right now, that's all that really matters.



...this slam is the seventh straight won by either Djokovic or Nadal, the second-longest such two-headed streak in ATP history. The longest? Eleven in a row... perpetrated by Nadal and Roger Federer from 2005-07.

Combined, the Djokovic/Nadal/Federer trio has now won 26 of the last 27 slam titles. At 64-2 for the season, Djokovic is currently sporting a season win percentage of .9697, slightly ahead of the men's all-time best mark of .9647 by John McEnroe (82-3) in 1984.



**WON THREE SLAMS IN A SEASON**
1933 - Jack Crawford
1934 - Fred Perry
1955 - Tony Trabert
1956 - Lew Hoad
1958 - Ashley Cooper
1964 - Roy Emerson
1974 - Jimmy Connors
1988 - Mats Wilander
2004 - Roger Federer
2006 - Roger Federer
2007 - Roger Federer
2010 - Rafael Nadal
2011 - Novak Djokovic

**CAREER COMBINED SLAM TITLES - active**
18...Bob Bryan
16...Roger Federer
14...Leander Paes
13...Mike Bryan
11...Mahesh Bhupathi
10...Rafael Nadal
8...Max Mirnyi
8...Daniel Nestor
7...Nenad Zimonjic
4...NOVAK DJOKOVIC

**MEN'S SLAM FINALS - ACTIVE**
23...Roger Federer (16-7)
14...RAFAEL NADAL (10-4)
6...NOVAK DJOKOVIC (4-2)
5...Andy Roddick (1-4)

**MOST ATP FINAL MATCH-UPS**
20 - Ivan Lendl vs. John McEnroe
19 - Roger Federer .vs Rafael Nadal
16 - Andre Agassi vs. Pete Sampras
16 - Boris Becker vs. Stefan Edberg
15 - Jimmy Connors vs. John McEnroe
13 - Boris Becker vs. Ivan Lendl
12 - Bjorn Borg vs. Jimmy Connors
--
11 - Novak Djokovic & Rafael Nadal

**MOST ATP SLAM FINAL MATCH-UPS**
8 - Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal
5 - Andre Agassi vs. Pete Sampras
5 - Ivan Lendl vs. Mats Wilander
4 - Bjorn Borg vs. Jimmy Connors
4 - Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe
4 - Roger Federer vs. Andy Roddick
--
3 - Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal

**CONSECUTIVE SLAMS WON BY TWO MEN**
11 - Roger Federer (8) & Rafael Nadal (3), 2005-07
7 - Rafael Nadal (4) & Novak Djokovic (3), 2010-11
6 - Pete Sampras (4) & Sergi Bruguera (2), 1993-94
5 - Jimmy Connors (3) & Bjorn Borg (2), 1974-75






All for now.

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Wimbledon Final: The Sweet Taste of Success

The 2011 version of Wimbledon turned out to be all about players managing to live out their dreams. On Saturday, it was 21-year old Czech Petra Kvitova becoming the Ladies champion and a first-time slam winner. On Sunday, it was all about Serbia's Novak Djokovic.



Two days after advancing to his first SW19 final to assure himself of becoming the twenty-fifth man to reach #1 in the ATP singles rankings, the 24-year old still had some unfinished business to take care. Sure, he stepped onto Centre Court to play the Gentleman's final while sporting the best record in tennis (47-1), more titles (7) than anyone, and a ridiculously brilliant season mark (9-1) against his fellow members of the Top 4 players in the world. But he still had something more to prove. That one loss on his '11 ledger came in the semis in Paris against Roger Federer, a loss which prevented him from tying John McEnroe's record 42-match season-opening winning streak and, more importantly, face off with Rafael Nadal in the Roland Garros final. Djokovic came into today's Wimbledon final with a 4-0 record against the Spaniard in finals this year but, coupled with the loss to Federer, his 0-5 record against Nadal in slams continued to leave an impression that maybe the Serb STILL wasn't quite ready to be declared "the best in the world." Not if he couldn't get the job done in best-of-five battles decided by stamina and grit on the game's grandest stages. While ten-time slam champ Nadal was fated to fall to #2 in the rankings on Monday no matter the outcome of the final, the fact remained that if he won his twenty-first straight Wimbledon match to defend his title he would be able to say he'd claimed five of the last six slams... and it what universe would THAT not make HIM the world's best?

Djokovic wanted his first Wimbledon title to erase those lingering doubts. And he wanted it badly.

Plus, he'd been dreaming about this moment since he was 4. And, numbers aside, in the end, that was the most important thing. Tennis has changed his and his family's life, and the memory of watching his first tournament as a child -- naturally, it took place on the lawns of the All-England Club -- will forever hold a special place in Djokovic's heart. It was the seed that was planted that made him start down the road to what he's become. It's been a hard journey, and all the work is making the success he's experiencing now all the more delicious.

Right from the start today, Djokovic was ready. In Game #1, he defied Nadal's 15/30 lead to hold, and the pair spent the rest of the set routinely locking away their service games. Through nine games, neither had faced a break point. But with Nadal serving down 5-4, with a better than 90% 1st Serve percentage (and he was winning around 80% of those serves), the Spaniard suddenly found himself down set point when Djokovic got the first break point chance of the match. When Nadal sent a forehand wide, Djokovic had managed to jump in and strike with rattler-like quickness, seizing the set at 6-4. As the Serb punched the air and shouted toward his family in the stands, Nadal must have realized what Federer has so often felt when the Spaniard has done similar things to the former Swiss #1 in recent slam finals.

Of course, Djokovic has been doing this sort of thing for more than seven months. Ask Jo-Wilfried Tsonga about the 1st set of this Wimbledon's semifinal, or Andy Murray about that deciding set in the Rome semi. Aside from that match against Federer in Paris, no player has been as mentally tough in 2011 as Djokovic has been each and every time he's stepped onto the court since he bolstered his fitness with a gluten-free diet and his confidence while leading Serbia to it's first Davis Cup title last December, which served as a prelude to his Australian Open crown in January. He carried that confidence in the 2nd set against Nadal, using his tremendous foot speed to get to the Spaniard's drop shot, he hit behind Nadal at the net to garner a break for a 2-0 lead. Racing through the stanza without facing a break point, while converting both of his own on Nadal's serve, he won 6-1 in thirty-three minutes.

A letdown came in the 3rd, though. In the second game, Djokovic had his first double-fault, and soon Nadal held his first break point of the match. A Djokovic error put him behind 2-0, and he was never able to climb out of the hole in what remained of the set. As the pressure seemed to be getting to the Serb, the Spaniard was suddenly invigorated. Djokovic double-faulted on break point to fall behind 5-1, and lost the set 6-1.

But just as Kvitova had risen to the occasion in the most important section of the women's final against Maria Sharapova, Djokovic did so here. He broke Nadal to go up 2-0. After Nadal got the break back in the next game, courtesy of a chip return that dribbled over the net cord, Djokovic seized upon the next big opportunity given to him five games later. Down 3-4, Nadal hit his first double-fault of the match on the first point. Two points later, Djokovic had triple break point. He broke the defending champion at the end of a long rally to take a 5-3 lead and get the chance to serve for the championship. Two points from the match, Djokovic served-and-volleyed his way to a match point. After Nadal's backhand sailed long, Djokovic dropped his racket and immediately collapsed onto his back with a 6-4/6-1/1-6/6-3 victory.



On his way back to his chair, Djokovic paused to pick a few blades of grass from the Centre Court turf, then stuffed them into his mouth and chewed. Whether such an item fits into his new diet is questionable... but I'm betting his nutritionist won't get on him too much about it. After twenty years of effort, it must have tasted like icing on the cake.

Or maybe it just tasted like sweet success.

While they CAN put a roof on Centre Court, they apparently STILL can't get a microphone (or two) that works for a post-match interview, as the BBC's Sue Barker had a difficult time finding a working instrument that would relay the new Wimbledon champion's words to both the people watching on television AND the fans in the stands. But it didn't really matter... Djokovic, after a "couple of good days in the office," shows that just about anything is possible. Even managing to rise above not one, but two, players in the Greatest of All Time" debate.

But if Nadal and Federer are THAT, what is Djokovic? The "Trivalry" between the trio has developed an odd dynamic: Nadal dominates Federer, who manages to trip up Djokovic, who has now come to dominate Nadal this season. It's that last part of the equation that truly puts what the Serb has been doing into tremendous focus, though. So far in '11, against the player generally acknowledged as the best in the world just a few months ago, he's 2-0 on hard court, 2-0 on clay and now 1-0 on grass. After today's match, Nadal made a comment about Djokovic being the best player "at the moment." I don't think he was attempting to send any sort of veiled message, but just the notion that he might have been sets up the next obstacle that the Serb has to hurdle: that his domination can extend over the course of an entire season.

After Djokovic is through celebrating long and heartily with his Serbian cohorts, it'll be time to get back to serious business. Essentially, he's half-way to putting together the best, non-Grand Slam winning, season in men's tennis history. He's got two slams in hand, and he was already arguably the best hard court player in the world even before this year. Winning the Open in September would take his reputation to an even higher level. With eight titles, he's half-way to matching Guillermo Vilas' '77 mark of sixteen. With a 27-match hard court winning streak dating back to last season, he's nearly half-way to Federer's 2005-06 record of 56 in a row, as well. At 48-1 for the season, he's currently on pace to better McEnroe's modern day record for best winning percentage over the course on an ATP season (.965 in his 82-3 1984 campaign). All of that is still quite a ways away, but Djokovic has done nothing this year to make anyone think he CAN'T pull off at least a few, if not all, of those accomplishments. And just that it can even be a topic of debate proves that the Serb has managed to lift himself into the rarified air that was formerly only breathed by a two-man contingent.

No longer categorized as the "Third Man," Djokovic is now the ATP's LEADING man... and his "career role" might still be in his future.



=NOTES=
Meanwhile, if you managed to come back around to hear the very end of NBC's six-hour Wimbledon telecast today -- and I can't imagine many did -- then you have heard Ted Robinson drop the (not exactly bombshell, but still eyebrow-raising) news that the network's 43-year association with the tournament has now officially come to an end. If it hasn't happened already, an announcement seems to be forthcoming that ESPN has bought the rights for the ENTIRE tournament, including the singles finals. Unless live coverage is moved or simulcast on ABC (where some taped weekend action looks to be slated to air), it means starting next year the Wimbledon finals won't be on over-the-air TV for the first time since the 1960s. Of course, ESPN is so pervasion, and has swiped away so many other big-time sporting events, it really doesn't seem like the milestone change that it probably SHOULD be.

Of course, I've sort of been hoping that the Comcast purchase of NBC might lead to this moment (I haven't heard anything about the network's Roland Garros coverage, which has always been the worse of the two, treated like an ugly duckling for as long as I can remember). With the contract with the tournament up, I wondered whether Comcast migth cut its losses and move on, considering the sport's TV numbers aren't what they used to be. But, with Comcast's plan to pump up sports channel Versus, it seems as if the entire situation actually spurred competing cable/network sports entities -- ESPN and Fox -- to make a big run at Wimbledon, largely in order to prevent the soon-to-be-renamed Versus from becoming an even bigger player in sports television acquisitions than it is already expected to become according to Comcast's master plan. I'm glad Fox didn't get Wimbledon. I think that could have been a disaster. While ESPN has its "issues," it knows how to cover a big event, and make it seem even bigger. Of course, that hasn't always translated when it comes to tennis. But the network's U.S. Open coverage has been generally great, so with more at stake, maybe the sometimes-gaping holes in the Wimbledon coverage will be closed in the near future.

Hey, hope should always spring eternal, right?

The news that this tournament is leaving NBC isn't neary as jarring as when HBO stopped telecasting Wimbledon years ago, but it's surely the end of a very long tradition. "Breakfast at Wimbledon," with the first live coverage of the men's final back in 1979, revolutionized tennis-on-TV in America. Over the decades, NBC's tennis production has become shoddy (out with Bud Collins and in with Jimmy Roberts? Really?) and sometimes insulting (the tape-delayed, time-zone scrambling coverage of the SF in recent years, all designed to prevent a pre-emption of the late, worthless hours of the "Today" show), but I know I'll never forget the "good old days" when NBC helped make the sport what it used to be in the U.S. and, in truth, played a huge part in me becoming a tennis fan in the first place. The network's groundbreaking and always-anticipated (boy, did that change over the years) Wimbledon coverage is why this became my favorite slam, and probably plays a large part in why pretty much all of my "most-favored" players -- from Becker to Novotna to Dokic and, now, even Kvitova -- just so happen to have special links to SW19. As Djokovic said today about himself, Wimbledon tennis was the first tennis that I, too, ever watched.

With the finals now in its grasp, ESPN2 will at least be able to call the shots for North American coverage. Allowing NBC to essentially direct ESPN2's broadcast by "embargoing" matches has done nothing but help erode the sport's potential U.S. fan base in recent years. Hopefully, John McEnroe will make the jump from NBC to ESPN2 next year (he's already on board for U.S. Open duties). As with Mary Carillo, American tennis coverage just isn't quite the same without him in the mix. Now, if the network can just get a few more of its studio highlight show hosts to not act as if they should be patted on the back for actually pronouncing a women's tennis player's name correctly and/or adequately feigning interest in or knowledge of the sport they're talking about, maybe it'll be a "good" beginning for a new era in Wimbledon coverage.

Oh, well. Times change, and this is a long-overdue course correction, at that. But, still. One can't help but have a bit of a heavy heart when something that you associated with your youth is suddenly gone. "Breakfast" might ultimately be better at this time next year, but it'll never be the same, either. There's just something sad about that.



*CAREER SLAM FINALS - ACTIVE*
23...Roger Federer (16-7)
13...RAFAEL NADAL (10-3)
5...NOVAK DJOKOVIC (3-2)
5...Andy Roddick (1-4)
4...Lleyton Hewitt (2-2)

*ATP #1-RANKED PLAYERS - BY WEEKS*
[as of July 4]
286...Pete Sampras
285...Roger Federer *
270...Ivan Lendl
268...Jimmy Connors
170...John McEnroe
109...Bjorn Borg
101...Andre Agassi
101...Rafael Nadal *
80...Lleyton Hewitt
72...Stefan Edberg
58...Jim Courier
43...Gustavo Kuerten
40...Ilie Nastase
20...Mats Wilander
13...Andy Roddick *
12...Boris Becker
9...Marat Safin
8...Juan Carlos Ferrero *
8...John Newcombe
6...Yevgeny Kafelnikov
6...Thomas Muster
6...Marcelo Rios
2...Carlos Moya
1...NOVAK DJOKOVIC *
1...Patrick Rafter
--
* - active

*ATP DOUBLES TITLES*
[Slams, Teams, Open era]
11...BOB BRYAN & MIKE BRYAN, 2003-11
11...Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde, 1992-00
[All-time Slams, Teams, AO-RG-WI-US]
12...John Newcombe & Tony Roche, 1965-76 [4-2-5-1]
11...BOB BRYAN & MIKE BRYAN, 2003-11 [5-1-2-3]
11...Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde, 1992-00 [2-1-6-2]
[Career ATP, individual]
83...Todd Woodbridge
78...John McEnroe
78...Tom Okker
75...MIKE BRYAN
74...Frew McMillan
73...BOB BRYAN
73...Daniel Nestor
[Career ATP, teams]
73...BOB BRYAN & MIKE BRYAN
61...Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde
57...Peter Fleming & John McEnroe
57...Bob Hewitt & Frew McMillan

*ATP CAREER SLAM TITLES - ACTIVE*
[Singles/Doubles-Mixed]
18...BOB BRYAN [0/18]
16...Roger Federer [16/0]
14...Leander Paes [0/14]
13...MIKE BRYAN [0/13]
10...Rafael Nadal [10/0]
8...Max Mirnyi [0/8]
8...Daniel Nestor [0/8]
7...Nenad Zimonjic [0/7]

*CAREER SLAM SINGLES FINALS - MEN*
23...Roger Federer *
19...Ivan Lendl
18...Pete Sampras
17...Rod Laver
16...Bjorn Borg
16...Ken Rosewall
15...Andre Agassi
15...Jimmy Connors
15...Roy Emerson
14...Bill Tilden
13...Rafael Nadal *
--
* - active




All for now.

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