Five was the magic number at Wimbledon yesterday. Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic won his fifth Wimbledon title, beating eight-time Swiss champion Roger Federer. The victory came in a fifth-set tiebreaker. The dynamic duo had battled on and on for nearly five tight, tense, and terrific hours.
Djokovic and Federer traded the lead back and forth as regularly as the ball volleyed over the net until the fifth-set tiebreaker finally settled the match—and the tournament. It was the first time the new tiebreaker option had been enacted.
In the end, the younger player emerged victorious. It was the second consecutive Wimbledon championship for the 32-year-old from Belgrade.
Federer and Djokovic pushed each other to the limit in what became as much a test of focus and stamina as it was about skill. Sunday’s event is the longest final in the history of the tournament that dates to the 1870s.
Federer was clearly disappointed in his loss, which came less than a month from his 38th birthday. Had he come out on top, he would have become the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title in the professional era. But he turned his focus on his opponent’s victory at the trophy ceremony, saying, “It was a great match. It was long. It had everything. I had my chances. So did he. I thought we played some great tennis. In a way, I’m very happy with my performance, as well, but Novak, it’s great. Congratulations, man. That was crazy. Well done.”
(Winner Novak Djokovic, right, and Roger Federer, second place on left, part ways after receiving their trophies in the men’s singles final match of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London on Sunday, July 14, 2019. AP Photo)
