Every player looks great when they are ahead; it's when they're behind that's most telling. Novak Djokovic was exceptional in both situations today in the Davis Cup final.
Djokovic defeated Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 to tie the ultimate tie at 2-2. In the fifth and deciding rubber, both Serbia and France have made substitutions, as Viktor Troicki will play Michael Llodra (not Janko Tipsarevic vs. Gilles Simon, both losers on Friday).
If Djokovic entered today's match with Serbia leading 2-1, with the Cup for the taking, I wonder if he would have been as effective. But for the second time in three days, the Serb pulled his side out of a one-point deficit and back to level ground. He couldn't have gotten off to a better start. Djokovic hit clean shots, was authoritative on both sides and held serve comfortably. Then he did it again in the second set. Both sets finished 6-2, with Monfils broken in the final game each time.
In the third, Monfils did not wave the white flag. Rather, he waved the French Tricolor and played his most inspired tennis of the day. Monfils went for more with his forehand and finally broke Djokovic's serve, in the third game, with a laser down the line that landed inches from both the sideline and baseline. Incredulous, Djokovic obliterated his racquet on the hard surface.
After breaking his racquet, Djokovic then immediately broke Monfils back to make it 2-2. The back-and-forth pattern—Monfils break, Djokovic breaks right back—occured again in the seventh and eighth games. It was the last time Monfils would be ahead. For the third time in the match, Djokovic broke Monfils to take the set. This time, it was for the match.
Djokovic has done all he can, winning both of his singles matches. Now, he must do the hardest thing of all: Nothing. He'll wait alongside Nenad Zimonjic, Tipsarevic and thousands of Serbian fans in Belgrade to see if Viktor Troicki can complete this Sunday comeback.
—Ed McGrogan