Q. A gentleman asked Djokovic before that he told you something at the end of the game, and the answer of Djokovic was, “Ask Roger.” So what did he tell you?
ROGER FEDERER: Um, well, he told me that he thought I should have won the match earlier, so I deserved the victory. (Laughter.)
I was like, Yeah, I kind of agreed. But look, I’m still happy I won either way, you know.
You know, he’s a good sport, and we enjoy, you know, the tough rivalries through guys like him or Murray or Rafa, whoever it is at the top. Makes you a better player. I think we’re, to some degree, thankful that the other guy is around, too.
The fact is, for whatever reason, and even if he doesn’t always mean it, Djoko does a great job of presenting himself – however much that may unsettle his detractors.
For my money, I do believe he means it - those post-match man hugs at the net from his early years would make me hurl.
getty
But that’s precisely my point. He “unlearned” that unfortunate habit, weaned himself off it once it was made clear to him how pretentious and ill-informed it made him look – especially when his opponents were, sometimes, so obviously uncomfortable with it (Fed would sometimes pull away).
Anyhooo.
Federer d. Djokovic 6-1 3-6 7-5
The match was very obviously a shoestring-budget remake of the original Stanley Kubrick production from only 24 hrs earlier – this time presented in a smarter, sassy and edgier way -- though no less filled with tempestuous 1st set beatdowns, latter set Fed malfunctions and capped with a period when Fed does at least manage to rise above the gunk to close out the match despite falling far short of his form in the opening set.
Shout out to Djoko for rallying back in the way he did – it would have been infinitely easier to actually die after spending the best part of that sado-masochistic first set merely playing dead– and for actually managing to play what looked like his first bout of intelligent, belligerent, fearless tennis in two years. You give me hope.
Shout out to Fed for regrouping after enduring his second “go-loco” out-take reel from hell in 24 hours. Your ability to inspire awe, gore and to make me guffaw all in equal measure and in little over two hours, does you proud. This could become a trend.
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