Djokovic locked in his historic 20th Grand Slam title before the Berretini clash

• A victory against Berrettini will tie Djokovic with Federer and Nadal’s men’s 20 Grand Slam titles.
• “It means everything,” said Djokovic, who is chasing a sixth championship in the spiritual homeland of lawn tennis.
• This will be Berrettini’s first Grand Slam championship.

When the two met in the Wimbledon final, Matteo Berrettini’s 6-foot-5 stature would hinder Novak Djokovic’s relentless pursuit of hoarding as many tennis milestones as possible.

In the All England Club game against Berrettini, not only will the 34-year-old Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal’s men’s 20 Grand Slam titles be tied, it also means that he will finish third. Round of the game, which won the Golden Globe Award. Grand slam. No one even won four Grand Slams and Olympic gold medals in the same year.

“It means everything,” said Djokovic, the world’s number one, who is chasing his sixth championship in the spiritual homeland of lawn tennis. “That’s why I’m here. That’s why I play.

“Before coming to London, I imagined that I was capable of fighting for another Grand Slam trophy. I put myself in a very good position.”

Djokovic has won the Australian Open and French Open in 2021, has won 20 consecutive Grand Slam matches, and is now preparing to eliminate opponents in the Wimbledon finals, the Tokyo Olympics and the US Open to complete Golden Slam.

Since the beginning of 2020, the only time the Serbian failed to reach the Grand Slam final was in the fourth round of the U.S. Open last year, when he was absent because he accidentally hit the line judge.

Although Djokovic is almost a frequent visitor in the recent finals, this will be Berrettini’s first Grand Slam championship.

The 25-year-old from Rome will bid to become the first Italian to win a singles title at Wimbledon.

Djokovic had won the previous two games, but the two had never met on the grass.

Since losing to the British player Jack Draper in the first set, Djokovic has won 18 consecutive sets, but he will face a confident opponent.

Real boxing

Berretini’s title race is almost as impressive as Djokovic’s.

He became the first player to win the Wimbledon warm-up match since his debut in 1985 since Boris Becker made his debut, and continued to catch up with the Germans who completed the Queen’s Club Wimbledon doubles feat in the same year. .

The 25-year-old Italian has the physique of a heavyweight boxer, hitting a real punch with his huge forehand and a 220km/h serve.

Djokovic is very aware of the threat posed by his opponent, and he is striving to become the first Italian to win a Grand Slam title since Adriano Panata won the French Open in 1976.

“Anything is possible in the final,” he said. “Obviously the experience is on my side. But Berrettini has won a lot of games on the grass this year and won the queen.

“He is in great form. He serves very well and plays very well. So I think it will be a very difficult game for both of us. But I look forward to a great fight.”

But as his semi-final opponent Dennis Shapovalov discovered on Friday, Djokovic’s game is about shooting, but also about his indestructible defense and mental strength.

Shapovalov believes that Berrettini has a real opportunity.

“I think with his serve, if he can manage to sneak a break here or there and win a few tie-breaks, I think it will be difficult for Novak to break him,” the Canadian said.

Djokovic admitted that spectators on the centre court may support the loser and Berretini, who made the finals for the first time on Sunday-this will not disturb the determined Serbian.

“I hope people will also realize the importance of this game to me and the upcoming history,” he said. “Yes, in terms of crowd support on Sunday, I am ready for anything that will happen,” he said.

“In my career, I have had many different experiences. I just need to focus on myself and what I need to do.”