Speaking of the Roland Garros final, Janko Tipsarevic said that no one could expect such a result. The Serb said Rafael Nadal played a clear game, while Novak Djokovic made too many mistakes, rushing to complete the points and not finding an effective response to Nadal’s punches.
It was one of the most important games of the century, with Nadal seeking the 20th major crown and Djokovic the 18th. Despite difficult conditions and a strong opponent on the other side, Nadal, for his part, was determined to extend his reign in Paris.
And, that’s how he overcame all the worries along with a roof over his head, to score a dominant 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 win in two hours and 41 minutes. Nadal was broken eight times in seven meetings in Paris during the fortnight, and Djokovic couldn’t find the magic to make a comeback and challenge his powerful opponent.
Thus, Rafa became the third oldest winner of Roland Garros at the age of 34, also securing his fourth major crown without losing a set for an all-time men’s record.
Rafa had 31 winners and 14 unforced errors against Novak, controlling his shots well and recovering half of the return points to grab seven breaks from 18 chances. Djokovic couldn’t find his best game in the first two sets, pulverizing 50 unforced errors and failing to match Nadal’s pace, causing him to lose ground.
Rafa destroyed Novak in the shortest range of up to four hits and claimed their victory in this segment, as they actually stayed close to each other in the more advanced rallies.
Offering his best tennis in the opener, Rafa took an instant break when Novak’s backhand landed too far.
Janko Tipsarevic shared his thoughts on the Roland Garros final
The Spaniard grabbed another comeback game at 2-0 to extend his lead after 20 minutes of play, and to afford yet another winning cross back to 4-0 to extend the gap.
Rafa held on at 15 in the sixth game to wrap up the first set with a bagel, repeating what he did against Roger Federer in the final 12 years ago. The defending champion grabbed two breaks in the second set and held it at 40-30 to 5-2 with a winning serve that saw him forge a 6-0, 6-2 advantage in one hour and 34 minutes .
They remained neck and neck until 5-5 in the third set after an exchange of breaks in the middle of the set. Novak then hit a double fault in the 11th game to lose the serve, and propel Rafa to the title after the Spaniard’s excellent take a few minutes later.
“The Roland Garros final surprised us all. Nadal played a perfect game, and Novak made some tactical mistakes that are usually not inherent in his game. When they both play at a high level, there are lots of points and epic rallies regardless of the surface.
All this was missing from their meeting in Paris. Novak probably tried to finish the point too early, opting for drop-shots or too powerful shots. In my opinion, the conditions favored Nadal, and it was not easy to beat him like Novak tried to do, ”said Janko Tipsarevic.
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