Arguably the greatest weapon in Novak Djokovic’s armoury during his career has been his ability to recover from adversity.
He claimed the seventh grand slam title of his career at Wimbledon in July, but it had not been plain sailing for the Serbian in achieving it.
He had been in trouble in London when he trailed Marin Cilic by two sets to one in the quarter-finals. Despite not being at his best, he found a way to win and then went on to take the title.
Against Kei Nishikori in the US Open semi-finals on Saturday, he could not pull the proverbial rabbit from the magician's hat again as he struggled from the off against the powerful groundstrokes of his Japanese opponent.
Being broken in his opening service game was an ominous sign, and it was again his misfiring serve that proved costly as he failed to hold five times in all in the match.
It had been the same story in the last eight against Andy Murray, but while Murray’s play fell away as the Briton grew tired to allow Djokovic to get away with offering up 16 break points in their match on Saturday, Nishikori only grew in strength as the match went on. The way he recovered from failing to serve out the third set, before winning it in a tiebreaker and then closing out the match so calmly, was admirable.
Djokovic leaves New York having won only one of the past seven grand slam titles and having failed to reach the final in either of the grand slam tournaments played on his favourite hard-court surface this year, in Australia and the United States.
He will remain as No 1, and rightly so. He is the most consistent force in men’s tennis at present, but the greats are judged on their performances at the majors and only one in 2014 is not a good return.
gcaygill@thenational.ae
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