From adversity to heroism, the story of Novak Djokovic's return continues

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WIMBLEDON – He was a relentless force, as cool and studied as his opponent through the net on the center court, Rafael Nadal , was Novak Djokovic was back in the semifinals of Wimbledon for the first time in three years on Saturday, apparently a different man, changed his head, tilted between the points, staring at the grbad at his toes, Djokovic standing, studying his strings Nadal completed his pre-service rituals, diving into the squat of this signature receiver only at the last moment.

There were only the briefest glimpses of "old" Djokovic, once given to tear his shirt, hammering his heart. fist, bellowing in triumph.Hardship, like the steep drop of p Djokovic and the ensuing slump, can even teach an elite athlete the value of restraint.

But if the sound was gone, the fury was back. Djokovic, seeded No. 12 here at Wimbledon, played a match that answered all the lingering questions about the progress of his return. He and Nadal produced the second-longest and one of the most dazzling semifinals ever seen at Wimbledon. (The longest was produced on Friday, when Kevin Anderson beat John Isner in a marathon of 7 hours and 36 minutes). Djokovic survived Nadal, extending his slim lead in their epic rivalry to 27-25, in 5 hours, 15 minutes, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9), 3-6, 10-8.

The match, which was stopped with Djokovic leading by two sets to a Friday night because of the 23 hours The Wimbledon curfew resumed at 13 hours. (pushing the women's final) under the roof of the Center Court. The unpredictable fluctuations in momentum continued until the end. Players often cite things that they could have done differently during post-mortems in the newsroom, but not this time:

"Normally, I'm very critical of myself," Nadal said by way of after. "[But] I hit very good shots, I played aggressively, I missed balls – not too much, but I missed a few … When you play with this intensity, with this level of risk, sometimes you go over, no? "

Nadal claimed that he had no complaints. Nothing that he would have done differently, resumed, or altered. He felt that he was playing a good match, just like Djokovic, who beat him straight and square.

"I do not have many more things in me," he added. "I give my best and that's all."

The angle of human interest is always interesting in matches like this, and it could be sued in the name of one or the other man. But sometimes, the most interesting story has more to do with a less compelling aspect of the match, something technical.

In this match, it was hard to ignore the advantage that Djokovic had because he was hitting a flatter ball and more laser. on both sides. His shots move simply on a flatter trajectory, arrive faster, and land farther than those of Nadal, whose shots in head-to-head were specially designed for a very different surface, clay

Nadal is doing a lot of brilliant shots on the grbad, but it's not because he's got to big shots of turf. The proximity of this match was a tribute to Nadal's courage as a competitor, the result being a eulogy of Djokovic's composure at a time when the momentum changed in Nadal's favor.

"He is probably the best fighter of this game" Djokovic told me. "He faces each point as if he was the last one, you come in the match against him knowing that you have to earn points, it is already a moment of energy expenditure."

Conserving one's energy is paramount in a match with Nadal, but this is only a partial explanation of Djokovic's reach on the pitch. Since the beginning of its collapse, the 31-year-old Serbian star has turned to attitudes that can be loosely termed Zen or centered on inner peace and balance. These inclinations helped him control his emotions during some difficulties against Nadal.

"When you play such a level, against one of the biggest rivals, probably my biggest rival, it's pretty intense," Djokovic said. "There are a lot of emotions at play. A lot at stake. It is important to accept and accept everything that is going on and try to have a calm mind. because the calm spirit in the end wins out. "

In sight for Djokovic now, the last Sunday race against Kevin Anderson. The # 8 seed had a day off Saturday but has played more than 15 hours of tennis in his last three rounds. He came to the tournament with a chronic hamstring injury, for which he was wearing compression shorts. He did not even know how to tackle his recovery from the semi-finals, having never been involved in such a long match.

"I think we're going to play at the ear, see how I feel, see how my body reacts in the morning," Anderson said Friday night. "My feet are sore, they are swollen, the legs are rather jelly-like Ideally, I would like to go out and knock for maybe 30 minutes just to keep the eye. I want to try to keep the same kind "

These are not optimal conditions for a player about to face a list of 12 Grand Slam singles. Djokovic's profile as a player is also fraught with challenges for a player of the size of Anderson (6 feet 8 inches) and tired state

Djokovic is a superb base player who can jerk a player in all directions, including north and south to and from the net. the aggressive service return, against even a high-quality server like Anderson, who ranks second in Isner as the main as-producer in this tournament, 172 to 214. Anderson wo It would probably be better to launch his offensive, trying to Stifle Djokovic with a demonstration of power. The lean and muscular athlete from South Africa has been impressive since the start of the race. He held up well when he thwarted Federer in the quarterfinals. But unless there is a staggering disappointment on the part of Djokovic, Anderson can not compete in this department.

But Djokovic's return was marked by a number of setbacks that occurred while he was in a similar position. Remember, he lost in recent quarterfinals of the Open de France to a companion who had not won a match in a Grand Slam tournament.

You can bet that Anderson will have thought of that before the two men go out.