Novak Djokovic vs. Richard Gasquet: Score, Reaction for Wimbledon 2015 Semifinal

Novak Djokovic will defend his title in the final of Wimbledon 2015 after he beat Richard Gasquet during their semi-final on Friday. The Serb bounced back after a sloppy first set to cruise to a win in three sets, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4.

Djokovic looked excellent during Friday's match, a battle of two of the world's best at playing backhand passing shots, and his serve ultimately made the difference. The top seed will meet Roger Federer or Andy Murray in the final.

The defending champion once again decided to warm up on one of the public courts instead of in private, drawing a huge crowd, per tennis writer Carole Bouchard:

Djokovic was clearly feeling himself early and started the match on fire. With clean strokes from the baseline, he immediately broke Gasquet's serve and cruised to an early lead, putting the Frenchman under tremendous pressure.

The National Post's Jonathan Kay noticed how easy it all seemed for the Serb:

"

there is just no way I can root for Djokovic. He's like some kind of terminator cyborg sent from the Planet Tennis to humiliate humans

— Jonathan Kay (@jonkay) July 10, 2015"

But perhaps he took things a little too easy. With Roger Federer and Andy Murray going head-to-head in the other semi-final, the Djoker undoubtedly had an easier path to this stage of the tournament.

He almost appeared to treat the first set as a second-round match, and his carelessness cost him, as Gasquet managed to break back and hang with Djokovic for the bulk of the first set. Both players put up a masterclass of backhand tennis, and while there were several close calls, neither managed to break serve, leading to a tiebreak.

The Daily Mirror's Jack Lang had to stop himself from getting too excited:

He made a smart choice, as Djokovic showed his class in the tiebreak, elevating his play to its usual standards. While Gasquet managed to prolong the rallies, Djokovic played his shots very deep, giving the Frenchman few chances to find winners.

Tennis legend John McEnroe feared the tiebreak would affect Gasquet's play in the second set, via BBC Sport:

Gasquet's serve had been solid throughout the first set, but the machine came to a halt early in the second. The Frenchman started making mistakes, and Djokovic took full advantage. Another early break put the Serb in the driver's seat, but not everything went Djokovic's way. The top seed required treatment on his shoulder, via BBC Sport, a bad sign with the final of the tournament on the horizon:

Despite the need for treatment, Djokovic comfortably defended his break throughout the second set, and with two sets already under his belt, he broke Gasquet again early in the third.

His serve actually seemed to improve, and with every passing game, Gasquet appeared to accept the fact he wouldn't be able to break back. To his credit, he refused to lie down and hand Djokovic the match on serve, but in the return game, his body language showed he no longer had any faith.

Gasquet clung on until the 10th game, when Djokovic served out the match and booked his spot in the final.

As shared by BBC Sport, Djokovic was satisfied with his performance and praised Centre Court:

Djokovic's play in the first set was sloppy, but if he can replicate the form he showed in the tiebreak and the rest of the match, he has to be considered the favourite in Sunday's final.

There's every chance Federer and Murray will give each other an exhausting semi-final match, which would only aid Djokovic, and while his two possible opponents have both looked in excellent form, neither has been as consistent as the Djoker.

Whether it's Murray or Federer, fans should be in for one hell of a spectacle during the 2015 Wimbledon men's final.

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