Federer ends super Nola show
ROGER Federer turned on the style to end Novak Djokovic’s 23match winning streak with a 7-5 6-2 defeat of the Serb to book his semi-final berth at the ATP World Tour Finals last night.
A single break of serve decided the cat-and-mouse opening set, Federer producing a sensational half-volley drop shot in the 12th game, having put the Djokovic serve under serious pressure for the first time in the match.
With his Swiss fan club cheering on their man in a packed O2 Arena, the 34-yearold, 17-time Grand Slam champion pulled ahead in the second set with an early break, only to gift Djokovic the break back with a forehand error.
But world No 1 Djokovic was subdued throughout and failed to find the extra gear that he usually locates as Federer took advantage to move into a 5-2 lead.
Djokovic saved one match point after prevailing in a long baseline exchange, but there was no escape a few points later when the Serb sent a forehand just wide to end their 43rd career meeting after an hour and 17 minutes.
Djokovic, champion for the last three years at the O2 Arena showpiece, had not been beaten indoors since 2012 – a winning streak of 38 matches.
Federer has two wins already in Stan Smith Group with Djokovic and Kei Nishikori, who was well beaten by the Serb on Sunday, on one apiece.
Djokovic will need to beat the winless Tomas Berdych in straight sets tomorrow to guarantee a semi-final place.
Nishikori beat Tomas Berdych 7-5 3-6 6-3 in the earlier match last night, and some would say it was the best match yet at the ATP World Tour Finals so far.
The Japanese world No 8 looked in trouble when he faced a break point at 3-3 in the deciding set, but he finished fast to register his first win in the Stan Smith Group.
“I got a bit lucky in the last couple of games, but I worked really hard today,” the 25-yearold, who reached the semi-finals on his debut at the tournament last season, said on court.
A match full baseline rallies flowed.
World No 6 Berdych squandered a great chance in the first set when Nishikori was serving at 4-5, 15-30, missing a wideopen court with a backhand at the end of brilliant rally.
It proved costly as Berdych dropped serve in the next game and Nishikori clinched the set of powerful ebbed and on serve with a pinpoint forehand winner past the wrongfooted Czech.
Nishikori went 2-0 ahead in the second set, but Berdych reeled off five games in a row with some thunderous winners to turn the match around and send it towards a deciding set – the first so far in the singles this year at the O2 Arena.
An engrossing third
set reached a crucial juncture at 3-3 when a lucky net cord gave Berdych a break point, but Nishikori showed great defensive skills to fend off a big attack from his Czech opponent and kept his nose ahead at 4-3.
Two forehand errors from the Berdych racket allowed Nishikori to move 5-3 ahead and the Japanese secured victory with a love hold. – Reuters