Another Epic Wimbledon Final

Grand Slam tennis is one of the great spectator sports. Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in five really hard-fought sets at Wimbledon yesterday, in a match that went nearly four hours. At one point in the fifth set each player had won the exact same number of games, something like 165 each. The thing about tennis is that the athleticism is stupendous, but the human drama is equally so. Down 5 - 2 in the fourth set, Federer was staring right into what appeared to be imminent defeat. He held serve and then broke at 5 - 3, with everything on the line, going on to take the set. If he was nervous he didn't show it. He ultimately lost, but his poise was impressive, as was that of Djokovic, who refused to let the momentum swing all the way to Federer. A five set match features many, many such gut check moments, which makes for a viewing experience par excellence, especially since it's just the two competitors, with no place to hide, and with no chance of errors being compensated for by others, as in a team sport. I should add that in addition to the gut checks, it is essential to maintain total concentration over the course of the four hours. Any mental lapses will be exploited instantly.