I noted earlier that the key for Djokovic would be to simply be himself: supremely solid in every aspect of the game. He’s doing exactly that, and leading, 4-1. He’s playing self-contained and controlled tennis, never overhitting, moving with his customary fluidity and showing great composure. Things can change, but right now he looks nothing like the guy who lost to Medvedev in the 2021 final here. In that match, the pressure of potentially winning a calendar Grand Slam got to the Serbian — a very rare occurence.
The rallies continue to be long, with one rally in this last game going to 36 shots before Djokovic held serve to get to 4-1.