Novak Djokovic reaches first Wimbledon final over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

• Tennis News
• Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic secured a place in his first Wimbledon final in 2011 following a hard-fought 7-6, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 triumph over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Novak beat Jo-Wilfried in three hours and seven minutes to arrange the title clash with Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic improved to 47-1 in 2011, playing much better than any rival and securing the ATP throne regardless of the final result. Novak delivered more efficient numbers behind the first and second serve, taking 29 points more than Jo-Wilfried.

Djokovic got broken three times and seized six out of 12 return opportunities to emerge at the top. The Serb landed 30 winners and 20 unforced errors, welcoming over 40 unforced mistakes from his opponent. They hit a similar number of service winners.

Novak built a massive advantage in the shortest range up to four strokes thanks to a powerful first groundstroke after the serve. Also, he bested the opponent in the mid-range and most extended rallies to seal the deal in four sets and remain on the title course.

Novak Djokovic reached his first Wimbledon final in 2011 over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Djokovic could have brought the encounter home earlier after leading 4-2 in the third set. Instead, Tsonga bounced back and clinched it in the tie break to prolong his chances.

However, Novak restored the order in the fourth set to seal the deal and stay on the course toward his third Major crown. Djokovic dropped three straight points in the encounter's first game and got broken after a loose forehand.

Tsonga denied a break point in game two with a backhand winner and held for 2-0. The Frenchman fired a service winner in the eighth game to erase a break point and landed another to wrap it up and forge a 5-3 advantage. Jo-Wilfried served for the opener in the tenth game and saved three break points to get back to deuce.

However, he hit a double fault and sprayed a forehand error to lose serve in the worst moment and bring Novak back to 5-5. Djokovic clinched a tie break 7-4 to complete a massive steal and gain a boost. Tsonga lost the ground in the last 20 minutes and experienced an early break in the second set.

The Frenchman hit a loose volley in the fifth game to find himself 4-1 behind and in a tough position. Djokovic dropped three points behind the initial shot in the entire set and closed it in game eight to forge a massive two sets to love advantage.

Jo-Wilfried sprayed a backhand mistake at 1-1 in the third set to experience another break and drift further away from a positive result. Still pushing strong in his games, the Serb moved 4-2 ahead and two games from a place in the title clash.

Suddenly, Novak embraced three mistakes in game eight to lose serve after Jo-Wilfried's forehand crosscourt winner that gave him a boost. The Frenchman played a loose service game at 5-5, getting broken at 15 and allowing the Serb to serve for the victory.

Instead of sealing the deal, Novak lost serve at 15 to keep the rival in contention ahead of the tie break. Tsonga denied a match point at 5-6 with a smash winner and another at 7-8 with an ace. Djokovic saved a set point at 8-9 with a slice winner before losing the next two points to hand the set to his rival.

Starting all over, the Serb grabbed 13 of the fourth set's opening 15 points to forge a 3-0 advantage. Both players served well in the remaining games, and Djokovic emerged at the top with a hold at 15 in game nine for his fifth Major final at 24.