This Gentlemen’s Singles final is somewhat unexpected, but we cannot say that neither of these men deserved to be where they are right now.
Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson played fantastic tennis in the semi-final. Both produced memorable Wimbledon results after enduring extended fifth sets against Rafael Nadal and John Isner. Both endured the challenge of exhaustion. Both fought. Both got what they wanted. Now, they stand at the top of Wimbledon with the chance to go home with that trophy.
Novak Djokovic has been nothing short of amazing in the tournament. Some think that the former World No 1 is zeroing on a Wimbledon victory, playing angry tennis after a string of disappointing outings. Many think that he will easily win against a very exhausted Anderson.
However, it’s not exactly fair to just dismiss the South African star. Sure, he played a very tough semi-final in comparison to Djokovic. However, the mere fact that he hung on for that long shows that he is more than ready to take on whatever the Serbian smashes his way and return it three-fold.
I am honestly prepared to see this game go the whole nine yards and then some. I just hope the final doesn’t take more than six hours because that would cause pain in the literal rear of many fans.
Talking Points
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Kevin Anderson is not a tennis player. He is a warrior. Warriors fight, and that’s exactly what he did versus John Isner.
The two played a marathon of a match and took 6hrs 36mins before Anderson won over Isner. They had an unbelievable final score of 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (9-11), 6-4, 26-24. The match reached the point that both players struggled to even make a powerful serve. Every serve, every step, every stroke took all of the power they could muster.
When the incredible yet ridiculous match was finally over, fans at Center Court and all around the world celebrated the end of the game for two incredible players. Isner is used to such battles: he is part of the longest Singles match in the tournament, where he won against Nicolas Mahut after 11 hours and 5 minutes.
While Anderson is honoured to be a part of such a historic match, he shares the sentiments of many frustrated fans. The America-based player called for the lack of a fifth set tie-break to be changed: “I hope we look at this because you don’t feel great. I hope this is a sign for Grand Slams to change.”
Meanwhile, Djokovic had quite a battle of his own. Many made countless jokes about the waiting time he and Nadal had to do in the locker rooms, but both of them played fantastic tennis that lived up to expectations when they did manage to finally play.
Djokovic was a set away from victory when the All England Club’s curfew policy meant that the game also had to be suspended for tomorrow. Nadal played great to force another thrilling fifth set. While many feared (or anticipated) another marathon of a match, Djokovic was quick to shut it down: he beat Nadal 10 games to 8 in the final frame to win the match.
Djokovic has been focused on winning the tournament and convincingly win against quality opposition on the way to the final. He wants retribution after a terrible dip in form due to injury. I wouldn’t be surprised if the fiery Serbian will manage to overpower the extremely exhausted Anderson and take home another Wimbledon title.
History
This is quite unfamiliar waters for the 32-year-old. While he has been playing in Grand Slams since 2008, he rarely made it past the fourth round. He found the most success at the US Open, where he reached the final in 2017 and the Last Eight in 2015.
Meanwhile, Djokovic feels right at home in Wimbledon. He had a six-year run where he always made the Last Four from 2010 to 2015. He made the quarter-final in 2017 before missing the remaining tournaments due to injury.
In terms of head-to-head matches, Djokovic has the upper hand. The only time Anderson got one over him was at the Miami Masters in 2008. Ever since then, the Serbian won every single game they had. While Anderson took Djokovic to full sets in 2015, the Serbian still managed to get out with the W.
Anderson will be against very tough Wimbledon odds here, but he has to remember that he triumphed over challenging battles against Isner and Roger Federer. The fact that Angelique Kerber also came out victorious in her own final should give him a bit of extra motivation as well.
What are the odds?
SBOBET has interesting odds for this match, and other leading bookies also think that this will be a quick match for the Serbian.
The Asian Handicap market offers quite a low deal for Djokovic fans: -1.50 @ 1.40. They are that confident that he will take the game without any problems whatsoever.
However, they may have forgotten that Djokovic also played two consecutive days of tennis, and the final set also went beyond the 6-6 threshold. I think Anderson is a more sensible punt here, with a +1.50 boost coming in at 2.78.
If you think the game will reach full sets, there’s no reason for you to skimp and put a little faith on Anderson. His 4.33 Money Line odds is worth a shot.
This battle of iron-clad men will test each other’s mental strength and the hearts of their respective fans. Both of them have a shot at winning, so this match should be fun!
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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