Wimbledon 2014 Review

Already regarded as the best Wimbledon final since 2008, the 128th edition of the tournament has heralded another classic men's final. Top seed Novak Djokovic was pitted against 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer who was seeking a record eighth Wimbledon crown. But the Serbian as he always does, found a way to prevent the Swiss maestro from creating more history, prevailing in five enthralling sets, 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-4.

But the talk around SW19 during the fortnight was the possible "changing of the guard" with young guns Nick Kyrgios, Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic creating many headline defining moments. It was defending champion Andy Murray and two-time winner Rafael Nadal who faced the brunt from the possible future champions. Andy Murray was simply outclassed by his opponent Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals and although the Scot looked out of sorts, Dimitrov has now well and truly announced himself to the tennis world. This isn't a performance that Murray will want to remember though, especially after such promising victories in the earlier rounds. The press were hot on the case the succeeding days after the match trying their hardest to fathom how he managed to lose so convincingly and looking into some kind of meltdown the Scot suffered before the match had even begun. What the press failed to highlight was that Murray was simply beaten by the better player on the day. There is work to be done in the Murray camp however; the relationship between coach Amelie Mauresmo and the Scot doesn't seem to be working as of yet but of course they no doubt need more time. Murray's run during the hard-court season will be a good indication of how and if the relationship is developing, with the US Open offering them the chance to see if the partnership will really blossom into something successful.

Nadal on the other-hand was served out of the Wimbledon Championships by Australian newcomer Nick Kygrios. Not many people had heard of the 19 year-old before the tournament started but now he's someone many fans will be looking out for in future events. The Spaniard was never the favourite to lift the title after suffering surprise early losses over the last two years but there is always hope with Rafa fans that he can find his feet again on the grass of SW19. But this fourth round meeting produced a similar outcome for the World No.1, who just couldn't contain the power strokes from the young Australian. This isn't the be all to end all for the 14-time Grand Slam champion, his early exit last year produced a US Open title but another Wimbledon crown really does seem a huge ask now even for Nadal's high standards. There is no doubt that in the future these young players could well be the face of the men's game but it does seem quite premature for the "big four" to be wrote off just yet. Let's face it, there has only been two different Grand Slam champions outside of the "big four" since 2005, with Juan Martin Del Potro at the 2009 US Open and Stanislas Wawrinka at the 2014 Australian Open. Whether this mould will be broken again anytime soon is hard to tell but one thing is certain, slowly but surely the "big four's" hold is definitely coming under attack from the young stars of the game.

Yet again however it was the veterans who had the final say of who rightfully deserves the Wimbledon crown. At 27, Djokovic is hardly a veteran, but his longevity at the top of the men's game seems like an eternity. The "changing of the guard" phrase that had been used so much by the media during the Championships was finally coming to a head as Murray's conqueror Grigor Dimitrov stood in the Serbian's way at the semi-final stage. At 23, Dimitrov is only four years younger, but in sporting terms that is a huge difference. While Novak is currently at the peak of his game, Grigor still has many years to reach his full potential with his coach Roger Rasheed claiming that Dimitrov is only 25% towards the top level. The Bulgarian displayed to fans exactly why he has been nicknamed "Baby Fed" in the past though, with a repertoire of shots that even the great man himself would be proud of. But poor execution at key moments and Novak's supreme athleticism were the difference in the end and the Serbian came through in four tight sets. For 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, he was rolling back the years by making serene progress through the tournament, only dropping serve once before the final. Across the net in his semi-final match, he faced the big serving Canadian Milos Raonic, who was the first of his nation to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since William Johnston in the 1923 US Open. It was evident throughout the match however that when his serving isn't up to scratch, Raonic doesn't particularly have a plan B and if the Canadian is ever to win a slam title in the future, he will need coach Ivan Ljubicic to expand his game a fair amount. Roger Federer broke once in each set of the match to comfortably put aside the threat of losing a semi-final tie at Wimbledon for the first time.

The final was an instant classic, a five set thriller that even had casual fans turning their heads. Djokovic had championship point in the fourth set on the Federer serve but failed to see it through and when Federer subsequently broke the Serb's serve in the next game things were looking bleak for the No.1 seed. After reeling off five games in a row to take the contest into a final set decider, it looked like Federer was on the verge of making more history. But every tennis aficionado knows that Djokovic is someone you can never right off. The Boris Becker effect was highlighted throughout the nervous moments in the decider and Djokovic was superb in handling the pressure of finding a way to win after what happened in the fourth set. Federer's first serve that had been so dominant throughout the fortnight at SW19 wasn't looking so strong against the consistent Djokovic return and when serving to stay in the match, the Swiss's resistant finally crumbled giving Djokovic his second Wimbledon title. The Serbian's winner's speech was heartfelt and poignant, dedicating the trophy to his first coach Jelena Gencic who passed away last year. Everybody around Centre Court and those watching from home could see how much this win meant to him and his team and after a setback of losing the last three Grand Slam finals that he has competed in, Djokovic can now finally put that ill thought to rest with a seventh Grand Slam title.

This wasn't to be the final flourish for Roger Federer who turns 33 next month. Many felt that one more Wimbledon title was still in the Swiss maestro but it does seem unlikely now that even if he was to reach another major final, that last obstacle may be too hard for him to overcome. But Federer is happy with his game, declaring after the match that he believes that "this was just a stepping stone to many more great things in the future". Djokovic ironically overtakes coach Boris Becker's six Grand Slam titles with his Wimbledon win. In the process he equals the likes of John McEnroe and Mats Wilander with seven major titles. Djokovic is taking a break from the game for a while to enjoy his wedding day with Jelena Ristic and also preparing for the birth of their baby which is due in November. "I think I can close the chapter of my tennis career just for little bit now. I think I deserve that for few weeks to rest, to enjoy, be with my fiancée—my wife to be—and my family". The next chapter of his tennis career begins at the end of August when the US Open starts. At the moment it's hard to see Djokovic not lifting that trophy either.