Newsday (N.Y.): Novak Djokovic defeats Roger Federer to become new king of Wimbledon

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

WIMBLEDON, England — Novak Djokovic understood whom he was playing and where he was playing Sunday. He also understood what he had to do against Roger Federer, a seven-time Wimbledon champion.

"You know he's not going to lose," Djokovic said. "I'm going to have to win it if I want to lift that trophy."

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Copyright © 2015 Newsday. All rights reserved.

S.F. Examiner: Here’s how you spell Djokovic: B-E-S-T

By Art Spander
San Francisco Examiner

WIMBLEDON, England — They know his name now, know that he’s the best men’s tennis player in the world. They know his quickness, his return of serve and his ability to react, sprinting from one end of the court to the other. They even know his tendency to take tumbles as he reaches for balls beyond his reach, but not his hopes.

Novak Djokovic was always somewhat of an outsider, not so much an oddball but unusual — at least to Americans. Djokovic had a talent for mimicking other players, men and women — he knew every Maria Sharapova twist and move — and a talent for fading in big matches.

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©2015 The San Francisco Examiner

Newsday (N.Y.): Novak Djokovic rallies to beat Kevin Anderson

By Art Spander
Special to Newsday

WIMBLEDON, England — It's a sporting cliche, but an accurate one. The way an athlete responds when in trouble is a yardstick of his quality. Novak Djokovic, the No. 1-ranked player in men's tennis, responded well enough at Wimbledon to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament a 25th straight time.

In a match that began Monday and then after four sets was suspended because of darkness, Djokovic Tuesday completed a successful comeback, defeating Kevin Anderson, 6-7 (6), 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 on Court One.

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Copyright © 2015 Newsday. All rights reserved.

Bleacher Report: Novak Djokovic Affirms Status as World's Best in 2014 US Open Win vs Andy Murray

By Art Spander
Featured Columnist

NEW YORK — It was warm. It was late. But heat and time couldn’t stop Novak Djokovic. Neither could Andy Murray. On a night that rolled into the wee small hours of morning, Djokovic verified his standing as the No. 1 men’s player in tennis.

He wasn’t perfect and had his lapses, but as John McEnroe — who was once in the position Djokovic now stands — pointed out on the ESPN telecast after midnight, all players have their lapses. The question is how many and for how long.

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Copyright © 2014 Bleacher Report, Inc.

Bleacher Report: Novak Djokovic-Andy Murray QF Will Give 2014 US Open Its 1st Great Men's Match

By Art Spander
Featured Columnist

NEW YORK — Now it gets serious. Now the men’s game, existing almost in a vacuum while the ladies battered each other and the seedings — joyful confusion, you could call it — grabs its rightful place at the U.S. Open.

Now the big names display what they hope are their big games.

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Copyright © 2014 Bleacher Report, Inc.