Roger Federer regrets not creating more chances on Novak Djokovic’s serve following his five-set defeat to the new world No1 but admits it was nice to be part of an enthralling encounter on his return to the Wimbledon final.
The Swiss saved 11 of 15 break points against Djokovic yesterday but could only create seven opportunities to break throughout the match – the first coming in the final game of the second set.
“I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t breaking Novak’s serve or actually creating opportunities,” explained Federer, who will rise to No3 in the world today. "It’s one thing not to break, that can happen if the other guy plays well in the big moments, but I was not creating enough opportunities to put Novak under pressure.
“It was only in the fourth set when I was down a break that I started to understand more how to return him, which was a surprise for me because I’ve played him so many times.
“I kept believing and kept trying to play offensive tennis. I’m happy it paid off in some instances. As you can imagine, I’m very disappointed not being rewarded with victory.
“Novak deserved it at the end clearly, but it was extremely close.”
The seven-time Wimbledon champion was enjoying incredible support on Centre Court and it was almost like a home Davis Cup atmosphere for the Swiss.
His supporters included Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, who comforted him following the match, as well as his wife Mirka, and two of his four children – twin daughters Myla and Charlene.
Federer admits their presence at the All England Club softened the blow of defeat.
“It’s just nice being in Wimbledon finals. Winning or losing, it’s always something special and something you’ll remember, even more so when the match was as dramatic as it was today,” said the 32-year-old. “It’s even more memorable when I see my kids there with my wife. That’s what touched me the most, to be quite honest. The disappointment of the match itself went pretty quickly.”
