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View this email in your browser. WIMBLEDON 1/4 FINALS - RESULTS 🎾 Featured Matches:



Djokovic d Nishikori 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2



As has been the case for a few of his matches this fortnight, Novak struggled for parts of the match (in todays case, set 2 and the beginning of 3), and then looked imperious when the finish line was even remotely close. Nishikori was playing a very high level of tennis and maybe should have broken, up 0-40 on Novak's serve, in the middle of the 3rd set trying to take a 2 sets to 1 lead. He didn't, and Djokovic broke Kei the following game, which seemingly also crushed Nishikori's spirits. Novak was excellent on 1st serve (85% points won) and at the net (19/21 points won), but his 2nd serve was abused for sections of the match (only winning 40% of 2nd serve points). However given how well Kei was returning, that's hardly surprising. Nishikori will be disappointed not to have taken a lead in that 3rd set, which in the end was the turning point.



Anderson d Federer 2-6, 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4, 13-11



Points won: Federer 195, Anderson 190.



After a great first set from Federer, Anderson was unlucky not to win the 2nd after breaking serve and playing a high level of tennis. 2 sets down, not many would have given Anderson much of a chance, but he kept on plugging, holding serve, and started to see less Federer returns coming back at him. Federer started to struggle with two things. The first was getting blocked, low returns back in play, something he had done very well for most of the first two sets. The 2nd was winning any of the extended rallies, ie. those over 4-5 shots. Roger's brand of 1st strike tennis has been breathtaking to watch over the past two years, but in situations like this it can, and did, let him down. Fed seemed unwilling, or maybe unable to stick in there for some of the bigger points when they developed in to longer rallies. More often than not he'd spray a forehand error, giving Anderson respite on serve. Kando did very well to hold serve consistently in the 4th and 5th sets, as well as take the few chances he did get in Rogers service games. Amazing comeback from Kevin, his mental strength should be applauded.



Nadal d Del Porto: 7-5, 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4



Bizarrely, looking at the score, Rafa probably should have won this match in straight sets. He was by far the better player for the first two sets and was up 1 set to love and 6-3 in the 2nd set tiebreaker. With a double fault on his final set point he handed the set and momentum to Del Potro, and from then on it was a completely different match. Delpo's forehand and serve suddenly turned into he 2nd coming of Thors hammer and Rafa became incredibly tentative on his forehand.



The main reason Nadal had been the better player for the first two sets was down to his aggressiveness whenever he took on Delpo's backhand. In the 3rd and 4th sets Rafa's forehand was suddenly struggling with slices that he had been crushing earlier in the match. Rafa also became too predictable with his shot selection, putting far too many mid-court balls onto Delpo's backhand, which made the Argentine start to camp in that corner and run round his backhand. Delpo's serving in the 3rd, 4th and 5th sets was just ridiculously good, finding huge bombs just about every time he needed them.



Finally, at the beginning of the 5th set Rafa broke with some aggressive tennis and managed to hold on, in consecutive epic service games, to close out the match. Del Potro's forehand nearly ruined Nadal's day on multiple occasions with ludicrously good, 100mph rockets. Overall, incredible drama but there are few areas of improvement needed if Rafa wants to stand a chance on Friday vs Novak. Nadal's serve in particular won him 0 free points in the final two sets today and his forehand was a mixture of game-winning in some moments and a liability in others. Fatigue could also be a big issue given the long, gruelling match (5hrs).



Both guys finished with impressive winners to UE ratios:



Nadal: 67 winners to 34 UE's

Del Potro: 77 winners to 52 UE's.



Match of the tournament by far.



Also:

(‼️ = upset)

(🤕 = injury)

(💥 = demolition)



Isner d Raonic: 6-7(5), 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-3

Incredible serving performance from Isner, only facing 1 break point over 4 sets. Did everything both players needed to do better than Raonic. INTERVIEW/PRESS TL;DR 🗣 Djokovic after beating Nishikori:



- “It feels great to be in the last four. I feel like I’m peaking at the right moment."



- Very happy with my level.

(BBC Interview)



- "Well done Anderson."

Source Anderson after beating Federer:



- "This is going to be my day I kept telling to my self. It has been a great performance. It is fantastic...now I have to recover asap. To beat Roger is one thing to remember."

Source



- "I think John serves a little bit better than Milos [Raonic] but he moves a bit better from the baseline."

Source

Federer post-Anderson loss:



- "Don't know when I lost control of the match. Maybe match point, maybe the break later, there are many small points in a match but I cannot pinpoint any of them in particular except the MP."

Source



- "My 1-2 punch wasn't working at all today, except the 1st set. After that I had always had the feeling that it wasn't about my opponent but it was one of those days when you hope to just get by."

Source



- "I hate being here explaining losses, they kind of hurt more at Wimbledon. It's nice to be around here."

Source

Rafa post-win:



- Amazing tennis in the 5th set.

- Sorry for Delpo.

- He's an amazing player, an amazing forehand.

- Last year I lost an epic, this year I won one.

- Need to start to recover immediately.

- Not that much time.

- Novak is so tough and fresher than me.

(BBC Interview) SHOTS OF THE DAY 😮 Brilliant tweener to set up the backhand pass from Nishikori.

(BBC) Huge forehand down the line from Novak.

(BBC) Flick backhand pass from Federer. Set up a break point late in the 4th set.

(BBC) Ridiculous slice winner from Anderson.

(BBC) Another angle. Ball only bounces a few inches off the court. KNIFED.

(BBC) Delpo's diving volley at 30-30 in a tight game in the 5th set.

(BBC) ANOTHER ONE. Rafa banana shot. Bends out of frame and then back in.

(BBC) Casual way to take the 3rd set Delpo. 103mph forehand onto the line.

(BBC) EXTRAS...🔍🎤📊 ATP 1000's Toronto and Cincinnati will both be using a shot clock in the run up to the US Open.

Source

Also will be in use in: San Jose, New Haven and Winston-Salem, Citi Open.



Key points:



- Players will have 25 seconds to begin their service motion, although a chair umpire will have the ability and discretion to pause the clock. They will have the ability to resume the clock from the same time or reset the clock to 25 seconds.



- A one-minute clock will begin when the second player or team entering the court arrives at their chair(s). If, at the end of that one minute, a player is not at the net, they will be notified by the chair umpire and subject to a post-match fine, although this will not be a time violation. How it will be enforced.

Clearly not used to Court 1, Federer's team ended up going to the wrong box just before the match vs Anderson started.

Source

Federer winning the firs two sets today vs Anderson equalled his record of 34 consecutive sets won at Wimbledon. He would have broken this record had he not lost the following set to Anderson.



Federer's 2nd set vs Anderson was his 300th set won at Wimbledon.

Federer's loss to Anderson today was his 20th after holding match point.

Andy Murray on his not ideal challenge success rate:



- "I do a lot of emotional challenges."



And on the spider cam:



- "I always take notes on my court and I hate it when the cameras look like they're trying to get in my bag and see the notes... they're not notes about the match: 'Tim Henman's a terrible commentator', 'It's coming home', things like that."

Novak on the upcoming Shot clocks:



- "I don't like the shot clocks between the points. It's something the US Open is going to introduce this year without consulting players."

Source This guys haircut probably has GOAT arguments with itself. Source Great slow mo showing how flat Del Potro's forehand is. One of the rare full-eastern grips left on tour. Racket face nearly totally open on contact. Means the wrist snap has to do all the work to control the ball, with much less spin than a more modern western or semi-western grip. (BBC) It's always great to see Rafa adjust his game-style for different surfaces. Something he's done particularly well this tournament is move forwards after hitting a serve, so he can take the next ball early, taking time away from his opponent.

(BBC) Here's a quick comparison of Rafa after hitting the serve on clay. On grass he tries to stay inside the baseline. On clay he immediately steps back post-serve, moving behind it.

(Eurosport) LOL 😂 Novak went straight at Kei for this one. Given how Novak reacted when Rafa did the same to him back in Montreal (2013), Djokovic should be happy Nishikori is mild-mannered.

(BBC)

"Delpo made ANOTHER forehand?"

(BBC) This Rafa diving lob landed a foot from the baseline.

(BBC) Classic Delpo.

(BBC) Rafa making friends.

(BBC) Legends.

(BBC) Share Tweet Forward GAME, SET & MATCH 👋 The Racquet is created, and written, by Matt. You can find me on twitter by tapping/clicking this. You early subscribers (Beta testers) get access to 'The Racquet' Discord. Tap/click the Discord button below to join (we even have Jerzy Janowicz emojis). If you know anyone who would like 'The Racquet' here is the link to send them so they can sign up: https://theracquet.co See you tomorrow for a special issue previewing the Semi-finals!