Djokovic downs Krygios to win seventh Wimbledon title
Novak Djokovic won a seventh Wimbledon title and 21st Grand Slam crown on Sunday with a four-set triumph over Nick Kyrgios, whose challenge unravelled in frustration after a blistering start.
Top seed Djokovic won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to equal Pete Sampras’s mark of seven titles at the All England Club and move within one of the men’s record of eight held by Roger Federer.
The 35-year-old Serb is now one Slam ahead of Federer in the all-time race and just one behind Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 majors.
But there was no lethargy when the final began as Djokovic, playing in a men’s record 32nd Slam final, was blown off court by his 27-year-old opponent making his maiden bow as Kyrgios raced through the first set, breaking in the fifth game and taking the opener with his seventh ace of the contest.
Along the way, he showcased one underarm serve, a “tweener” and impeccable behaviour but Djokovic, renowned as the best returner in the game and undefeated at the tournament since 2017, managed to win just five points off the Kyrgios serve.
It was the third match in a row at this Wimbledon that the 35-year-old had dropped the first set.
Djokovic won a lung-busting 23-shot rally in the third game of the second set and immediately broke for a 3-1 lead.
There was a brief stoppage in play when a protestor was ejected from the stadium for shouting ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ in reference to the welfare of the Chinese women’s tennis star.
His afternoon threatened to unravel completely when he was broken from 40-0 up in the ninth game, fuming and swearing loudly at his team in the player’s box.
Djokovic, with only two unforced errors, happily pounced for a two sets-to-one lead and as Kyrgios continued to remonstrate with himself and his supporters, Djokovic strolled to victory, wrapping up the title with a convincing tiebreak.
Djokovic is just the fourth man in the Open era to win four successive Wimbledon titles after Bjorn Borg, Sampras and Fede
