Even given the wonderful success that Novak Djokovic has enjoyed this year, especially the four Masters final victories over Rafa Nadal on hard court and clay, the edge for the potentially classic 2011 Wimbledon Final still was the Spaniard's, earned legitimately through his four finals and two wins on this very court.
My heart was with Djokovic because he was the last man who could exact revenge for what Nadal did to Roger in Paris but my wallet suggested the extremely talented Spaniard in four maybe five close sets.
I had one thing correct in the opening stages - it indeed was tight. Novak served first and confidently placed the first game on the board. The ground strokes from both players was no less than you would expect from the two best players in the world, and service comfortably held all the way to 4-4. One thing was noticeable though. Djokovic was playing from the baseline while Nadal swung from a metre behind. This gave the Serbian more options for placement of his shots and created greater margin for error on any wide swipes cross court from the Spaniard. Nadal's all round class managed to cover for this in his first four service games, but after Novak once again held serve to lead 5-4 and place the scoreboard pressure heavily on Rafa, the problems of court positioning caught up with the champ, and he surrendered a 30-0 lead with some uncharacteristic errors, a combination I'd suggest of Djokovic consistency and Nadal mental lapse. The shot to lose serve and set would normally be a forcing shot to the Serbian forehand demanding an effective response; instead it meekly floated out and the first time finalist led 6-4.
Not only did Djokovic now have a set lead and momentum, he had the first serve in the second set and could again place the pressure on Nadal to play catch up tennis, providing his solid serve maintained it's reliability. Well it took some time and effort but Novak won his serve to take the 1-0 lead in the second set, and then it became Nadal to fall victim again to errors thrown in just when ill advised. As Sharapova had done in her final, a number of Nadals's mistakes came from desperately going for winners and instead finding the net. 2-0 to Djokovic and this now deserved to be analyzed as vastly more serious than the Murray poor start that Rafa experienced in the semi final. He could feel himself being pushed up against the ropes and copping lefts and rights to the body, most of them scoring punches.
Although Novak raced to 3-0, Rafa needed quickly to register in his head that this was just a single serve break, and also realise that he was the defending champion and could mount comebacks of the grandest style. Maybe he did understand these things, but his opponent clearly did not allow the understanding to be translated into a scoring comeback. The placement of the Serbian serve was immaculate, and limited the Spaniard in what damage he could inflict with his potentially lethal returns. Despite Rafa holding his serve, it still became 4-1 to Novak with huge importance on the next Nadal serve if this set had any chance of changing it's direction from east to Serbia all the way south to Spain.
Djokovic sensed his chance to grab a double break, and with some generosity from Rafa early in the game, then ripped some returns to set up a break which virtually sealed the set. Rafa knew the score well enough not to fight the impossible in the next game, and Novak rolled through to take a two set lead 6-4 6-1. The Spaniard was saving any reserves he had for a three set masterpiece that he now required to display to the shocked fans if a third Wimbledon were to come his way today.
Vitally, for the first time today, Rafa had first serve in a set. Taking full advantage of this he raced through the game to take a lead in a set for the first time 1-0. Some of the regular Rafa could be seen in the brief microcosm that was this game and fans had a feeling that perhaps a famous comeback could be underway.
For the first time, the Serbian ice man showed signs of a melt down as his shot making went astray, and coupled with some luck with the net that Rafa enjoyed all match, the break occurred, and it was the Spaniard now with a lead and a break and the crowd fully behind this mini comeback that most wanted to develop into a five set classic.
For awhile Novak stay with Rafa, still a break of serve behind but knowing he had the sets on the board and any slip by the Spaniard could mean disaster, but a mirror image of the second set developed with Nadal growing in confidence by the minute, his shots finding the mark as they should, and the antithesis the case for Novak. Whether or not this was just a drop of concentration from the Serb was irrelevant. Two things were happening - Nadal was emerging from a rut into the dangerous player we know he is, and Djokovic was becoming the victim.
The second break of serve came as almost a relief in hindsight because it put beyond doubt where the third set was going to be assigned and Novak could once again devote himself to a single set where he would have first crack at serving. If solid on his own serve, then ultimately Rafa would be serving to stay alive. So 6-1 Rafa the third and the crowd erupted, now assured of four sets between these warriors and possibly even a fifth.
Novak opened proceedings in the fourth and with every ounce (I should use the imperial measure whilst in London) of care held his serve to place the first morsel of scoreboard pressure on the Spanish star.
Nadal faltered immediately with a double fault followed by an unforced error and then some out of this world returning by Djokovic confirmed the break and a 2-0 lead. The Championship was so close he could almost taste it.
Rafa took the simmering saucepan away when he broke straight back for 1-2 and held firmly for 2-2.
What could the Serb do in this pressure cooker situation? Hold serve may be a good place to start, and this he did and did again, as did his adversary, and the crowd was holding its collective breath awaiting the next shift in course in an amazing final.
All the while we were captivated by not just the drama of a final at Wimbledon between the best in the business, but by the almost unprecedented ability of two players to turn shots that appeared to be winners against them into damaging return threats in their own right. Never has such desperation been converted into brilliance on such a regular basis by two players in the one match. Nadal does it time and again in matches against hapless opponents but today both were doing it and we were the paying beneficiaries.
Almost unexpectedly at 3-4, Rafa stumbled. It happened at the worst possible moment of the match, because serving second any lapse after the sixth game would give Djokovic the opportunity to serve out the match.
No guarantees of course when serving for such a prize but apart from a very nervous first point, Novak did the job like a champion should, and the new World Number One confirmed that position by unseating the former number one on the biggest stage of them all - Wimbledon.
Djokovic in four entertaining sets 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3 and this rivalry could be the one in men's tennis for years to come. One thing is certain - Nadal will be back fighting harder to regain his former position.
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