[MWW]

I just rewatched some match highlights, and figured quite a lot of pts Novak attempted to come into the net after some rallying to get passed, including the penultimate break Stan needed in order to serve for the match.

Of course Stan was GOATing on BH winners one by one, but I can't help but think Novak strategised poorly on the approach so that Wawrinka seemed to always be in good position. The below three pts all came at the 4-4 game in 4th set...

 

[Arsenalex]

Have no idea, spent the whole live match dwelling on all the points Stan lost. The only point he won I remember exactly is MP (and the one round the net-post ofc) :haha:

 

[SheepleBuster]

Nole broke after Wawrinka broke him back in the 4th. How he looked at his coach showed me he was just not there... I still thought at 0-40 he was going to break but that ace sort of ended it ... kind of reminded me of his 0-40 4-4 situation with Rafa at US open that he couldn't capitalized and ....

 

[Forehand Of Doom]

Djokovic has always had a very poor net game. Definitely the worst of the so-called Top 4 by a mile and a half.

He seems to have learnt how to do the crosscourt dropshots quite well and his overheads are a little bit better now, but the fact is that his vertical game is still seriously defficient. He probably has one of the best lateral (baseline) games, but vertically he is a failure.

Novak's love affair with the net continues.

Fig. 1. Novak Djokovic humping the net at the RG 2013 SF for the betterment of humanity
​

 

[Rod_Laver Slam]

This strategy is not suitable for Centre court of RG in this era at all! Players like Nadal and Wawrinka will always have time to pass with heavy balls. This was the failure of Federer but it is understandable as he is more focused on the fast surfaces recent years. But why Novak Djokovic decided this year to play this strategy I have no idea. The tactic drop shot and going to the net is a good one, a lob is a good one but when the wind started to blow in the final those things were not working as the drop shots and the lobs depend on the direction of the wind. There was one lob that was important and blown away from the lines, it was simply poor tactics by Novak Djokovic in those conditions.

 

[Rod_Laver Slam]

Djokovic has always had a very poor net game. Definitely the worst of the so-called Top 4 by a mile and a half.

He seems to have learnt how to do the crosscourt dropshots quite well and his overheads are a little bit better now, but the fact is that his vertical game is still seriously defficient. He probably has one of the best lateral (baseline) games, but vertically he is a failure.

Novak's love affair with the net continues.

Fig. 1. Novak Djokovic humping the net at the RG 2013 SF for the betterment of humanity
​

He wasn't poor at the net! Wawrinka was passing him just like he did with Federer! Federer's net play is not poor but Stan made it look like it.

 

[Agrajag]

From what I could see, Djokovic lost despite playing great at the net.

Say what you will about coach Boris, but to me, the reason he dominates the game (again) is his much improved serve and net game.

 

[MTwEeZi]

No. He saved many BP with it.

 

[manadrainer]

He came forward cause he couldn't dictate from the baseline and tried to mix it up. Unfortunately for him Stanimal was not to be denied on Sunday.

 

[TheBigFourFTW]

My memory is kinda clouded when recalling key moments when his volleying failed, but I do remember he was volleying where for his standards overall through the whole match.

 

[Mountaindewslave]

for sure Novak played some big moments fairly dumbly by attempting S + V's on 2nd serves but I don't think it would have made a difference to the result had he none done it. its not as if he did it THAT much, he was just doing it now and then as the match went on because he had to mix something up to try and mess up Wawrinka's momentum

 

[Mountaindewslave]

This strategy is not suitable for Centre court of RG in this era at all! Players like Nadal and Wawrinka will always have time to pass with heavy balls. This was the failure of Federer but it is understandable as he is more focused on the fast surfaces recent years. But why Novak Djokovic decided this year to play this strategy I have no idea. The tactic drop shot and going to the net is a good one, a lob is a good one but when the wind started to blow in the final those things were not working as the drop shots and the lobs depend on the direction of the wind. There was one lob that was important and blown away from the lines, it was simply poor tactics by Novak Djokovic in those conditions.

there is no 'era' in which serve and volleying would effectively work on clay really

 

[Shinoj]

He was too defensive. Just hoping that Stan would somehow Miss. Novak has been best throughout his career only when he was aggressive. All his losses were when he was too passive.. He needed to be more aggressive.

 

[RU90]

He was too defensive. Just hoping that Stan would somehow Miss. Novak has been best throughout his career only when he was aggressive. All his losses were when he was too passive.. He needed to be more aggressive.

+1

 

[Brit Tennis Fan]

there is no 'era' in which serve and volleying would effectively work on clay really

As a regular tactic this is true but as an occasional ploy which adds variety and catches an opponent off guard it is effective on all surfaces.

 

[BodyServe]

No it was more the stupid drop shots and those pathetic lob attempts as well as his inability to hit a forehand winner.

 

[Arsenalex]

No it was more the stupid drop shots and those pathetic lob attempts as well as his inability to hit a forehand winner.

Pretty much

 

[R.Tenenbaum]

Bad lobs and worst smashes.

 

[Pouille]

Net play saved him few times in 4. set, it was positive change

 

[Kyrgyros]

It actually helped him, that volley at 3-3 *30-40 was impeccable. I think serve and volley at break point had saved him earlier as well. He lost it because he was not aggressive enough and not good enough in defense, Stan blew him out of the court. The change of pace and mixing is the thing that Novak should focus at next time he meets Stanley.