It is only four years since Nick Kyrgios told the No Challenges Remaining podcast that Djokovic had “a sick obsession with wanting to be liked. Such actions show that Djokovic has reinvented his public persona as well as his tennis game of late. Shelton had been acting up, working the crowd enthusiastically and cupping his hand to his ear when he scored a couple of breaks in the third set. Now that Federer and Nadal are largely absent from the tour, the likes of Djokovic and Medvedev are finally relaxing and abandoning such saintly expectations. Most successful athletes have a healthy sliver of darkness in them, and there’s nothing wrong with expressing that. They build their fire by feeding off critics, sceptics and any perceived disrespect from their opponents. Federer adores tennis and Nadal loves competition of any kind.īut the majority of players have to look elsewhere for their spark. It suited their personalities because they were both motivated by positive emotions. It expressed Djokovic’s combative, competitive side far more accurately than the saccharine version of himself that he has presented in the past, notably while performing the heart-throwing celebration that he used to save for the end of each match.įor all the great things Federer and Nadal did for tennis, their fraternal and comradely spirit isn’t necessarily the way forward for everyone. At the same time, though, it was dramatic, eye-catching and – most crucially – authentic. Was the move strictly necessary? Of course it wasn’t. No wonder the handshake, which happened a few seconds later, was chillier than the ice-baths waiting in the locker-room. It was a direct imitation of the celebration that Shelton had employed in the previous round, after his victory over Frances Tiafoe. In Djokovic’s case, his phone gesture towards Shelton sparked much debate on social media. And despite their shared prickliness, these are two fascinating, articulate and complex characters. Medvedev beat Djokovic in straight sets in the 2021 final here, so he shouldn’t be overawed. While some fans may feel cheated by Friday’s turn of events, there is every reason to anticipate a fine match on Sunday. In 2008, Nike even hired boxing promoter Don King to hype up this apparently inevitable showdown as “The Grapple in the Apple” – a hubristic gesture which backfired spectacularly. We are talking about the slam where Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal both entered the draw on 14 occasions without ever facing each other on the court. The denouement is entirely in character for US Open, however, as this tournament always seems to throw up a surprise. Instead, this is like a Marvel movie where the studio forgot to book the hero, and ended up with a pair of supervillains instead. Or at least to reach what would have been a highly marketable final against Djokovic, thus completing a trilogy of summer blockbusters after their recent classics at Wimbledon and Cincinnati. Most neutrals had been expecting Alcaraz – a far more wholesome character – to defend his title here. As the 1980s legend Pam Shriver had told him during an earlier interview, “You’re a piece of work.” After his own semi-final win over Carlos Alcaraz, Medvedev told the on-court interviewer that “a thousand Spanish guys started screaming between first and second serves … They can go to sleep now”. On the other, there’s Daniil Medvedev, the eccentric Russian who has made a habit of baiting the New York fans. On the one hand, you have Novak Djokovic, the all-time legend who has just ousted successive Americans – and put 20-year-old Ben Shelton in his place on Friday with a pointed “hang up the phone” celebration. If you have any questions, please contact your bank.Sunday’s US Open men’s final is a hard one to predict, not least when it comes to the crowd’s allegiances. *Please note: Your bank may place a $5.00 hold on your account, but you will only be charged for copies made. ![]() Insert $1 or $5 bills or use your credit/debit card.* Self-service Fees per Page Black and white 8 ½ x 11”Ĭomputer downloading and emailing (when available) Some USB Flash Drives may not be supported. ![]() Please note: Some services, including color printing, are not available at all locations. Most computer files may also be emailed or downloaded without fees. Printing from computers in the Library requires cash or card. Self-service photocopy machines and microfilm printers take either cash or credit/debit card. This helps to maintain the condition of research materials, which are often both rare and fragile. Many Library materials may be copied only by Library staff. All self-service copies require Library staff approval.
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