Djokovic relief at final return

LONDON: Novak Djokovic admits his first final in a year will be a “special moment” as the former world No 1 prepares to face Marin Cilic in the Queen’s Club title match.

Djokovic has endured a barren 12 months due to a combination of a nagging elbow injury last year and poor form in 2018.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion is more accustomed to fighting for the sport’s biggest prizes.

But, in a sign of how far he has fallen, Djokovic claimed reaching the final of the Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen’s is a significant milestone on his road to recovery.

Not since he won the grass-court event at Eastbourne 12 months ago has Djokovic made it to the last day of a tournament.

So the 31-year-old’s 7-6 (7/5,) 6-4 victory over France’s Jeremy Chardy in the semi-finals meant a lot to the Serb.

“It feels great, first one since Eastbourne. So it’s been a year. It is a special moment for me,” he said.

“Obviously I have been hoping to get here and working hard for it.

“So now that I get a chance to fight for a trophy in one of the biggest tournaments on the grass court season, it means a lot to me.

“I’m really pleased with the way I have played throughout the whole week.”

Amid repeated suggestions he had lost his desire for success since completing his career Grand Slam at the 2016 French Open, Djokovic has seemed to be searching for motivation in recent months.

He has played his way back into form with four successive wins in his first appearance at Queen’s since 2010.

He traditionally opts to play only exhibition matches before Wimbledon, but the lawns of Barons Court have proved reinvigorating.

With Wimbledon starting on July 2, Djokovic is relishing the prospect of going into a tournament he has won three times with a trophy under his belt.

Given his 14-1 career record against Cilic, he will be favoured to beat the Croatian top seed. But Cilic has been in superb form this week and Djokovic knows he will pose a stern test on Sunday. “It’s quite different playing him on grass,” he said.