A break in the action can't stop Murray from moving closer to Wimbledon title; Djokovic next

Published July 06, 2013

| Associated Press

It looked as though nothing could stop Andy Murray after he reeled off five straight games to take control of a Wimbledon semifinal that hadn't been going his way.



"This is an outdoor tournament," he complained. "I don't understand these rules."


"Winning Wimbledon would be a huge achievement for any tennis player," Murray said. "Winning Wimbledon is pretty much the pinnacle of the sport."

Murray won 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 on Friday and figures to be the fresher player when he meets No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final Sunday — the third time they've met in a Grand Slam final over the past 10 months. They've split the last two, with Murray winning a five-setter at the U.S. Open last year and Djokovic winning in four sets in Australia to open the 2013 major season.

The reason for the lateness of Murray's match was the way Djokovic's win over No. 8 Juan Martin del Potro went down. It was a 4 hour, 43 minute affair, a record for a Wimbledon semifinal. It was a back-and-forth, bone-wearying 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory that was supposed to be the undercard on the day's schedule but turned out to be something much better.

"One of the most epic matches I've played in my life," Djokovic said.


In the end, though, it was these words from del Potro that summed things up: "I hit many winners in one point, and always, the ball comes back."

Mixing offense with his best-in-the-world counterpunching, Djokovic slid on the dried-out grass behind the baseline, did the splits a few times and repeatedly returned del Potro's serves that reached up to 130 mph. He finished with 80 winners over a match that encompassed 368 points.

Djokovic has won 10 of his last 12 five-setters; del Potro lost his fifth consecutive match that's gone the distance.


Leading 4-3 and receiving at 15-all, Djokovic hit a drop shot-lob combo to close out a breathtaking 22-shot rally. Del Potro dropped his hands onto his knees and clearly hadn't regained his wind on the next point, when he sliced an easy backhand into the net. Two points later, Djokovic had the break, and the 5-3 lead.


"When you feel good physically, when you know you're fit and you don't feel a huge fatigue, that gives you mental confidence, obviously," Djokovic said.


Not that anybody in Britain cares.


He's put a lot behind him since he appeared in last year's final and lost to Roger Federer. He won the Olympic gold medal on Centre Court, then followed that with his U.S. Open victory to end Britain's 76-year drought for a male Grand Slam trophy winner.

"I think I'll be probably in a better place mentally," Murray said. "I would hope so just because I've been there before. I won a Grand Slam. I would hope I would be a little bit calmer going into Sunday. But you don't know. You don't decide that. I might wake up on Sunday and be unbelievably nervous, more nervous than I ever have been before."