Amélie Mauresmo, who understands the pressure of meeting high expectations in Paris better than most, senses a certain tightness in Novak Djokovic’s tennis as he prepares for the one major prize that has eluded him, the French Open title.
“He is very tense there, very tense,” Andy Murray’s French coach said in her own language – “tendu” – shortly after Djokovic had completed their extended semi-final on Saturday by winning the fifth set with an ace to seal it 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1. It took four hours and nine minutes in all, the last one and a half sets lasting an hour, after they had resumed at 3-3 in the fourth.