Djokovic: Thiem Match 'Best Performance' Of Tournament

Novak Djokovic is peaking at exactly the right moment at Roland Garros. The No. 1 seed produced his best tennis of the tournament in defeating No. 13 seed Dominic Thiem in their semi-final on Friday, putting him into his sixth consecutive and 20^th overall Grand Slam final.

The Serbian is one match away from a career Grand Slam after hitting just 15 unforced errors in a dominant performance that saw him drop seven games. Although he didn’t give Thiem a chance to take control of the match, Djokovic was full of praise for his young opponent.

“He carries himself very well on and off the court for his age. He’s a leader of a new generation, is very powerful, and has a lot of strength and variety in his game,” he said. “I managed to handle his heavy spin very well today, but I’m sure that, as I told him after the match, we’re going to see a lot of him in the future if he continues doing so well.”

A backlog of matches due to rain resulted in Djokovic and Thiem playing their semi-final on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Although it’s unusual for a semi-final to not be held on Court Philippe Chatrier, the World No. 1 said the atmosphere was exactly what he wanted.

“The crowd was actively participating in each point, which I find very exciting. In a big match like this, you always want to feel special on the court because you worked hard for that moment,” said Djokovic. “When the crowd is there in a packed stadium, when they get involved and support both players, that’s where you want to be. That’s why you practise.”

Djokovic will play No. 2 seed Andy Murray in Sunday’s championship match. A win would make him the eighth man – and the fourth in the Open era – to win all four majors. He would also become the first player to hold all four majors at one time since 1969, when Rod Laver completed the calendar-year Grand Slam.

Defeating Murray will not be an easy task, though. Djokovic survived an epic five-set quarter-final against the Brit at last year’s Roland Garros. The pair have split their two meetings on clay this year, with Djokovic prevailing in the final at Madrid and Murray getting revenge a week later in the championship match in Rome.

“He has improved so much on clay over the years. This season is a great example of that,” said Djokovic. “I think he’s one of the most dedicated tennis players on the tour. He always seeks to improve his game and get better.

As Djokovic enters his fourth Roland Garros final, he will have more experience to draw from than Murray, who has never before reached the final Sunday here. With both players first facing each other at age 11 and squaring off dozens of times since then in the juniors and pros, they know what to expect when they take the court in two days.

“If we knew back then that we were going to fight for the biggest trophies in this sport, I think we would both sign the document,” said Djokovic. “I’m sure it’s going to be a final with a lot of emotions and a lot of exchanges from the baseline because we have similar styles of play. I know his game; he knows mine. I’m sure we’re both going to give it everything on Sunday.”