The war of 13-12

Championship matches, at least in tennis, aren’t always the best when it comes to the level of the game. Take for instance the latest 6-0, 6-0 drubbing that Iga Swiatek handed Amanda Anisimova in this year’s Wimbledon final. Playing a big final like Wimbledon brings with it its fair share of nerves and even big names can get overwhelmed.

And yet, every now and then, a final like the 2019 Gentlemen’s Singles clash between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer comes by to buck the trend.

The Serb was the underdog despite it being his sixth final at the All England Club. He was, after all, taking on one of the all-time Wimbledon greats, eight-time champion Roger Federer. Even with the pedigree of the two, few would have foreseen what was to come.

Nearly four-and-a-half hours into the encounter, Federer held championship point serving 8-7 in the fifth set. The match was already on its way to becoming the longest Wimbledon final. Both men had produced some of their best tennis — incredible court coverage and gritty baseline hitting from Djokovic, serve-and-volleys from a bygone era and some slice-and-dice magic from Federer. But a final twist in the tale was yet to come.

Back in the day, Wimbledon deciding sets did not have the traditional tiebreakers at 6-6. Players had to try and break their opponents until at least 12-12, which is when they would go into the seven-point shootout.

When it did finally come to the shootout, it was the Serb who had the last laugh. After 4 hours and 57 minutes, the Centre Court crowd rose to their feet and applauded the winner of the longest-ever Wimbledon final 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(4), 4-6, 13-12(3), one that has since come to be known as “the war of 13-12”. “That was crazy,” Federer said of the match in his runner-up speech.

“Crazy” is the right word to describe the match. Federer had won more total points 218 to 204, hit more winners (an incredible) 94 to 54, but that’s the beauty of the sport sometimes. You can be the better player for a vast majority of the match and still lose. Djokovic competed well throughout and was able to raise his level at just the right moment to grab one of his most memorable wins. He, however, did not break into a big celebration. There was too much respect between the two. Instead, he sported a wry smile as he walked up to the net to shake hands with Federer. “This was one of the most exciting and thrilling finals I was ever part of… unfortunately, even in these kind of matches, one of the players has to lose,” Djokovic said while accepting the trophy, his fifth at Wimbledon.

Multi-time winners are uncommon on the lawns. Only five men have accomplished the feat in the 21st century. On the women’s side, the list is even shorter with only the Williams sisters and Petra Kvitova taking home the trophy more than once. And when you do win for a second, third, or in Djokovic’s case, the fifth time after a 13-12 battle in the final set, the reward is sure to feel even sweeter.

Chandigarh