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There have been no surprises on who had his palms on the Wimbledon 2021 trophy. It was one of many Large 4 but once more – Novak Djokovic. The quartet of Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray have made the grass their very own over the previous 18 years (there was no event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
The Serbian beat Matteo Berrettini, the primary Italian to make the Wimbledon ultimate, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 at The All England Championships in London on July 11, to equal the all-time document of 20 Grand Slams held by Federer and Nadal. Djokovic has been in red-hot type these days – this was his third straight Wimbledon win and sixth general (2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2021). He received the Australian Open in February, the French Open in June, at Wimbledon in July.
Berrettini raised hopes of an unlikely upset by successful the opening set, however Djokovic’s expertise and big-match temperament got here to the fore because the match progressed. However, the Italian, taking part in in his first Grand Slam ultimate, earned the respect of tennis nice Boris Becker, who he nearly emulated by changing into the primary participant since Becker in 1985 to win the celebrated Queen’s Membership event on debut and add the Wimbledon crown, too, the identical 12 months. “It isn’t the tip, it’s the starting for me,” Berrettini sounded off a warning for his opponents after the ultimate. He has set his sights on changing into Italy’s first Grand Slam male winner since Adriano Panatta on the 1976 French Open. He got here shut earlier in 2019, when he reached the semifinal on the US Open.
Feelings appeared to have gotten the higher of him within the semifinal in opposition to Federer-slayer Hubert Hurkacz, however he held his nerves to win 6-3, 6-0, 6-7, 6-4. The latter misplaced the match however received the hearts together with his combat at his first semifinal at a serious. The 24-year-old Hurkacz, who defeated Federer in straight units within the quarterfinals, turned solely the second Polish man to achieve a Slam semifinal. En path to the Wimbledon semifinal, the Pole additionally defeated now world no. 2 Daniil Medvedev of Russia. Curiously, he had overwhelmed seventh seed Berrettini in straight units of their solely earlier assembly on the ATP Tour on the arduous courts of Miami in 2019. However grass proved to be a distinct ball-game.
Within the different semifinal, the world no. 1, Djokovic, was stretched by one more younger star, Denis Shapovalov, seeded 10. The 22-year-old went down combating 6-7, 5-7, 5-7 however impressed all people, together with Djokovic, who admitted being outplayed by Shapovalov at occasions within the match.
Earlier than this 12 months, Shapovalov had performed solely received one match at Wimbledon and his finest Grand Slam efficiency was a quarterfinal look on the US Open final 12 months.
He was launched to the sport early as his mom was a tennis coach. 2016 proved to be the turning level for Shapovalov – as a wildcard entry on the Rogers Cup, he knocked out then world no. 19 Nick Kyrgios. His rating, which was past 1,000, improved and entered the highest 250. The identical 12 months, he lifted the boy’s singles Wimbledon title, beating one other younger sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas alongside the way in which.
The left-handed Canadian reached his first Grand Slam semifinal, at Wimbledon this 12 months, beating two-time Wimbledon champion and his idol Andy Murray and eighth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut, a 2019 semifinalist. In quarters, Shapovalov noticed off promising 25-year-old Russian Karen Khachanov in 5 units.
Khachanov, who has received 4 ATP singles titles and reached the quarterfinals of the 2019 French Open, put up fairly a combat however Shapovalov prevailed. The match had its share of drama, after Khachanov was requested to vary his white cap because it had, maintain your breath, an excessive amount of black on the within!
However one of many defining moments of the Wimbledon this 12 months was Khachanov’s fourth-round win over the sensational debutant Sebastian Korda. The five-set thriller set a document for many breaks of serve in a set. The marathon 81-minute ultimate set noticed 13 breaks of serve earlier than Khachanov lastly received 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 10-8. The 21-year-old Korda was one of many finds of the event, making it to the final 16 in simply the fourth Grand Slam primary draw of his profession. He’s the son {of professional} tennis gamers Petra Korda – the 1998 Australian Open champion – and Regina Rajchrtova and brother of Nelly and Jessica, each skilled golfers. And if that wasn’t sufficient, Korda junior has none aside from Andre Agassi as his ‘mentor’. He has been in good type these days, beat Roberto Bautista Agut and Kei Nishikori en path to the Halle quarterfinals.
This younger brigade hogged the limelight on the Wimbledon this 12 months. With Federer, Nadal and Murray nursing accidents every now and then, this bunch, together with Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, will likely be snapping on the heels of Djokovic and the opposite veterans within the coming years, for his or her place within the solar, be it on grass, clay or arduous courts.
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