Unbelievable comeback two years in a row! Truly outstanding performance!
Novak fought back from two sets down and saved two match points to defeat no.3 seed and five-time US Open champion Roger Federer 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 for a place in his third US Open final! The top-seeded Serbian star will attempt to become the sixth man in the Open Era to win three major titles in the same year after he fought past the Swiss in 3 hours and 51 minutes on Saturday.
As both players held their serve, the opening set went into a tie-breaker. Nole was 3-6 down, but managed to come back and level the result. The Serb saved one more set point, but Federer used his fifth chance and won it 9-7 in 55 minutes.
Djokovic was broken in the third game of the second set. He fought back in the sixth game, but the Swiss broke him once again in the seventh, kept the advantage and took the set 6-4.
Being two sets to love down, Novak knew he needed to change something to get back into the match. He was more aggressive, his returns were much better, his body language showed he believed. The 2011 Australian Open and Wimbledon champion broke Federer’s serve in the second game and held comfortably for 3-0. The 24-year-old closed the set 6-3.
Nole carried his momentum into the fourth set and with two breaks, for 6-2, levelled the match at two sets all.
The decisive fifth set went on serve until the eighth game. Novak double-faulted to hand Federer three break points and the Swiss converted the first for 5-3 and a chance to serve out the match. The Basel native earned two match points, but Nole came back from the brink of defeat like last year. He saved them both and capitalised on the second break point opportunity to stay in the match. The world no.1 overpowered the Swiss once again to grab another break in eleventh game and served out the set and match 7-5 for historic victory!
This is Novak’s 10th win out of 24 matches they played.
It is the first year since 2002 that the 16-time Grand Slam champion has not won a major title.
" It was definitely the biggest win this year," Djokovic said on court immediately following his victory. "One of the biggest wins of my career. " SOURCE: Novak Djokovic Official WebSite (
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Novak is through to his fifth career US Open semi-finals!
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic came through his toughest test so far at Flushing Meadows on Thursday, winning his quarter-final match against fellow Serbian and world no.20 Janko Tipsarevic. Novak was leading 7-6(2), 6-7(3), 6-0, 3-0 when Janko decided to retire due to injury after 3 hours and 27 minutes.
In the most dramatic match so far at the last Grand Slam of the season, the world no.1 clinched his 62nd victory in 2011 and is only one step from defending 1200 points he won last year by reaching the finals.
The first two sets were long and brilliant. It really was a titanic battle with great points, beautiful and breathtaking tennis.
The opening set at the world’s largest tennis stadium lasted 1 hour and 24 minutes. Confident Janko started better, breaking Novak in the very first game. He had another break point in the third game, but Nole managed to save it with a blistering ace. Djokovic capitalised on his second break point in the fourth game with a stunning forehand down the line and leveled the result. One more break in the sixth game and a hold for 5-2 lead, but Janko fought back, broke Novak’s serve twice to go 6-5 ahead. The 2001 Australian Open junior champion was serving for the set when Nole put the pressure on him and broke back to lead the set into a tie-breaker. The 24-year-old Belgrade native won it 7-2.
Tipsarevic put the disappointment of the lost set behind him and opened the second set with a commanding service game. Novak started the second set like the first. He double-faulted to hand Janko three break points. Janko used his chance, made an early break and held to increase his lead to 3-0. He again had opportunities to expand the lead, but failed to convert two break points in the fourth game. Nole came back, breaking Janko's serve in the fifth game and holding for 3-3. The set was also decided in a tie-breaker. This time Tipsarevic claimed it, 7-3, and leveled the match at one set all.
Nole was dominant in the third set. He stepped up his game and raced to 6-0 with a triple break.
Janko was struggling with his movement and could no longer carry on. He retired being 0-3 down in the fourth set. SOURCE: Novak Djokovic Official WebSite (
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Novak will not play in the finals of the second Grand Slam of the season. The world no.2 fought hard but fell in a four-set thriller.
After 3 hours and 39 minutes of a great battle at Court Philippe Chatrier, Novak lost to Roger Federer in the semi-finals of Roland Garros 6-7(5), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(5). The Swiss ended Nole’s impressive winning streak - 43 matches won in a row overall (41 this season), dating back to the Davis Cup finals in December, which is the third-longest men’s streak in the Open era.
To win more than forty straight matches on different surfaces, in different conditions, against top players is absolutely fantastic, historic achievement. Nole went a half year without losing, clinched seven, of the 43 victories, over Nadal and Federer.
Federer was also the last man to beat Novak, six months ago at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.
Despite the loss, Djokovic completed a run that is unmatched among active players. Only Guillermo Vilas with 46 straight victories in 1977, and Ivan Lendl with 44 from 1981-82 had longer streaks.
Novak still has world's top ranking in reach. He can claim the top if Federer beats defending champion Rafael Nadal in the French Open final.
It was the match of the championship...
Set 1 - Djokovic got things underway by serving first. Federer made a strong start to the match and earned himself three break points with a forehand winner down the line. Novak saved the first and second with huge serves but hit a forehand wide on the third to hand Federer the early break. Nole earned himself two break back points. Only the one was needed as Federer sent a forehand long. The Serb made another break in the sixth game, but Federer broke back in the seventh at the second attempt with a series of powerful forehands that eventually saw Novak send a defensive forehand long. The 24-year-old Belgrade native earned two break/set points in the tenth game, but the Swiss held to level at 5-all. The set went into a tie-breaker, Federer won it 7-5 in 70 minutes.
Set 2 - Nole failed to capitalise on his break opportunity in the opening game of the second set. He was broken in the fourth game, and had a chance to come back into the set in the ninth game, but Federer held and closed the set 6-3 in 45 minutes.
Set 3 - Novak broke Federer in the second game of the third set and held to consolidate the break. The best Serbian tennis player kept the advantage and took the set 6-3 in 37 minutes.
Set 4 – Light was already bad in Paris. Fantastic Novak made a break in the ninth game for 5-4 lead and was serving to level the match at 2 sets-all. Federer fought back to equalise to 5-5. Nole earned two more break points, but Roger came back with incredible serving. Djokovic came so close to taking one of the all-time great French Open semi-finals into a fifth set and second day, but the third-seeded Swiss made one mini-break more than Nole in tie-break to advance into the grand finals in the capital of France. SOURCE: Novak Djokovic Official WebSite (
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The Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic is still unbeaten in 2011!
No.4 seed Andy Murray got really close to ending Nole’s run, but the Serb prevailed in a thriller 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (2) on Saturday evening to progress into the finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, his seventh ATP final of the season. The world no.2 started strong breaking Murray in the second game of the opening set. The Scot broke back immediately, but Nole converted two more breaks of serve in the fourth and sixth games, and served it out to 15 for 6-1.
Novak hit 11 winners to Murray’s 4, and made 8 unforced errors to the Brit’s 14.
The statistics pretty much changed in the second set in Murray’s favour. He was making less errors, while the level of Novak’s game dropped. Murray won the opening game to love closing it with an ace. A break in the sixth game was enough for the no.4 seed to take the set 6-3 and level the match up at one set all.
Djokovic broke his opponent’s serve in the fourth game of the decisive final set, but couldn’t keep the advantage. Murray fought back in the fifth converting his break point with a fantastic return and held to equalise the result to 3-3. The Brit made another break in the seventh game, but this time Nole broke back to level at 4-all. The 23-year-old Belgrade native was broken again in the ninth game, but he came back into the match when Murray double-faulted on a break point. The set went into a tie-breaker, Novak made two mini-breaks and won it 7-2. SOURCE: Novak Djokovic Official WebSite (
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Novak Djokovic's tremendous start to 2011 continues!
The world no.2 continued his dominance this year with his second win over top-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal in ATP finals. Novak came back from a set down to beat the Spaniard 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in 3 hours and 21 minutes in the Miami heat on Sunday for his seventh ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy!
It is Djokovic’s 22nd career title and second at the Sony Ericsson Open.
The unbelievable final match at Key Biscayne was 25th encounter of the top two players in the world. Nadal leads their head-to-head 16-9, but Nole now has a 9-5 record against the Spaniard on hard courts. Novak held to love in the opening game of the match with four big forehands. He was broken for the first time at the event in the third game, and then again in the fifth. The 23-year-old Serb had several opportunities to break Nadal’s serve in the fourth and sixth games, but the Spaniard held to consolidate the breaks for 5-2 lead. Nole managed to break back once, but Rafa closed the set 6-4 in 56 minutes.
Novak raised the level of his game at the beginning of the second set. We saw the best point of the set at 15-0 as Djokovic sealed a stuning rally with an amazing reply to a drop shot at the tightest of angles. The Belgrade native made a break in the second game and held to increase his lead to 3-0. He served out the set comfortably 6-3.
There were no breaks in the dramatic decisive third set so it went into a tie-breaker. Nole was calm and focused; he produced the big shots when it mattered most and won it 7-4. SOURCE: Novak Djokovic Official WebSite (
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Novak Djokovic saved two match points in a five set thriller to defeated no.2 seed and five-time US Open champion Roger Federer 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in 3 hours and 44 minutes for a place in his second US Open final! Djokovic was pushed to deuce in the opening game of the match. The Serb found his rhythm in time to set up a game point with the first ace before going on to hold. Novak earned himself two break points in the second game, but Federer held. The Swiss missed his chance for break in the third game. Nole broke his serve in the sixth game, but Federer broke back immediately and made one more break in the eleventh game which was enough for him to take the first set 7-5 in 51 minutes.
Novak was brilliant in the second set. He broke his opponent’s service twice, in the second and sixth games, and won it 6-1 in just 26 minutes.
There were no chances for break in the third set until the 12th game, when Federer earned three in a row, which were also set points. He converted the first to clinch the set 7-5.
Djokovic raised the level of his game in the fourth set. He put the pressure on no.2 seed and just like in the second set made a double break and cemented it with a love hold for 5-1. The 23-year-old from Belgrade served it out 6-2.
The match went into a deciding set, the first time they have played a fifth set against each other in their career. Nole pushed Federer to deuce in the third game, but the Swiss held. The best Serbian tennis player put up a great fight again in the seventh game, but Federer survived. Novak faced two break/match points serving to stay in the match in the tenth game, but fought bravely and held to level the result. He then made a break to go up 6-5 earning himself opportunity to serve out the match. He saved a break point before closing the set and match 7-5.
Djokovic has been beaten by Federer at the US Open for the past three years, now he’s won and prevented the Swiss from reaching his seventh consecutive final in New York. With this victory, Nole will surpass Federer in the ATP Rankings as of Monday, September 13, to re-claim the no.2 spot.
It's Novak’s sixth win in their sixteen matches.
" It was just a big pleasure playing in this kind of match, " said Djokovic after the victory. " It's one of those matches you'll always remember in your career, not just because you won against one of the best players that ever played this game, but coming back from match points down and playing good tennis to win in the end. I'm just so thrilled to be in the final. "
" To be honest I was just closing my eyes and hitting forehands as fast as I can on the match points. If it goes in, it goes in. If it goes out, you know, another loss to Federer in the US Open. I managed to come back. I was very lucky. "
" The fifth set was very intense - mentally and physically - and took a lot out of me, " said Nole. " But in the end, it's a remarkable win, and I'm sure I will find the strength to give my best tomorrow in the court. " SOURCE: Novak Djokovic Official WebSite (
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World number three Novak Djokovic rallied from a one-set deficit to defeat second-seeded Roger Federer 3-6 6-2 6-3 in 1 hour and 46 minutes for a place in the finals of the Sony Ericsson Open (Miami). Federer broke Novak’s service in the fourth and the sixth game of the first set for 5-1 lead. Nole managed to break back once in the seventh game and then held for 5-3, but the Swiss closed the set 6-3. Nole earned two break points in the second game of the second set and converted the first for 2-0 advantage. He faced scare in the next, but held to increase his lead to 3-0. The 21-year old was broken in the fifth game, but he broke back immediately in a long game using his fifth break chance for 4-2. Federer got broken again in the eighth game and Djokovic took the set 6-2. The best Serbian tennis player continued in the same rhythm in the third set. He was 4-0 up with two breaks. Federer was making a lot of unforced errors. World no.2 managed to break Novak’s service in the fifth game and then held for 4-2. It looked like that might be a turnaround, but Djokovic didn’t let the match slip out of his hands and he held to love in the seventh game for 5-2. There were no breaks til the end and Nole served out the match, 6-3.This was Novak’s third win in ten matches vs Federer. Both Djokovic and Federer served 4 aces and made 4 double faults.Novak hit 20 winners to Federer’s 22, and made 30 unforced errors to Roger’s 47.The Serb capitalised on 6 of his 10 chances for break, while the Swiss converted 4 of his 6 break points. Djokovic’s opponent in the finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tennis tournament in Miami will be Andy Murray (GBR, 4) who defeated Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG, 6) in three sets. Novak will try to win his fifth Masters title and to repeat the success from 2007 when he lifted the trophy after defeating Guillermo Canas in the finals.SOURCE: Novak Djokovic Official WebSite (
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