Rod Laver Arena was a place to be on Friday night in Melbourne. Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios played an exhibition duel in front of a packed crowd ahead of the season’s first Major. The result was the least important thing during a great show, but both players joked about how much they wanted to win. Kyrgios mentioned the last year’s Wimbledon final, his first at Majors. Nick lost to Novak in four sets despite giving his best, joking he has not slept since that defeat half a year ago. The Aussie played well at the All England Club to advance into the last four. Rafael Nadal gave him a walkover, and Kyrgios set the title clash against Djokovic.
Chasing his seventh Wimbledon trophy, Novak earned a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 victory after an entertaining battle that lasted three hours and one minute. Novak saved five out of six break points and broke Nick for the first time in a career in the second set to launch his comeback. Kyrgios made a perfect start in his first Major final and grabbed the opener 6-4 in swift 31 minutes. He broke Novak at 2-2 after the Serb’s double fault and held after deuce in game ten with an ace down the T line for 6-4. Novak pushed hard on the return at 2-1 in the second set and seized the first break chance after a lucky net cord winner for a massive 3-1 lead.
Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic met in the last year’s Wimbledon final.
Djokovic served for the set at 5-3 and found himself 40-0 behind. He stayed calm and defended four break chances, wrapping up the set and leveling the overall score at 1-1 after 70 minutes. Djokovic controlled the pace in set number three, losing six points behind the initial shot and hoping for more return chances. Djokovic created a break chance after Kyrgios’ double fault at 4-4, and Nick netted a backhand to fall behind. Novak held at 30 in game ten to secure the set and move closer to the finish line. There were no return chances in the fourth set, and they introduced a tie break, a must-winning one for Kyrgios. Novak opened a 2-0 lead with a volley winner and grabbed two more mini-breaks for 4-1. The Serb claimed an extended rally in the sixth point to earn five match points. The Aussie saved the first with a forehand winner at the net and fired his 30th ace for 3-6. Novak seized the third match point after the rival’s backhand error to secure his 21st Major crown and the fourth at consecutive Wimbledon.
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