ATP World Tour Finals: Djokovic outlasts Federer

Serbian Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Swiss Roger Federer during the men’s Group B match at the ATP Tennis World Tour Finals at O2 Arena.

Awash in shades of blue, the centre court at the O2 Arena came alive to the chants of Federer. An unperturbed Djokovic showed wishes alone weren’t going to help the Swiss tide over another intense match between the two stars. The screeching of the shoes, the odd grunt of effort and the exasperated sighs from the packed hall made it clear that this was going to be another marquee contest, the 31st encounter between these two men. Once again Federer displayed flashes of brilliance, the second set tie-breaker showcasing his vintage skills, but in the end Djokovic packed too much pace and power to earn a hard fought 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-2 victory in two hours and 24 minutes.

Federer sought to push for an opening at 30-30 in the third game, but a couple of big serves from the Serbian put paid to Federer’s hope for an early break. The Swiss was mixing it up nicely, using the slice backhand to set up his forehand but Djokovic was alert to Federer’s tricks in staying even at 2-2. The Serbian held to love in the fifth game to assert his confidence and remind Federer of the challenge facing him.

As the set drew closer to the end, it started to get tighter as both men sought openings. Djokovic got the first scent, as Federer slipped to 15-30 in the eighth game. But Federer rallied hard to force game point before holding with a thunder down the middle to keep it clean at 4-4. At 30-30 in the next game, Djokovic doled out a double fault to offer the first break point of the match to Federer.

But Federer spurned the lady, when he overcooked a forehand cross court to allow the Serbian back to deuce. Djokovic took the next two points to avert what may have been a decisive break. Instead he turned the tables on Federer in the next game. A brilliant backhand return at 15-30 gave the Serbian two set points on the Federer serve.

Federer turned aggressor to save the first with a thundering smash, but his 15th unforced error, a wild forehand gave Djokovic the set after 37 minutes of entertaining tennis under the bright lights. It was set that hinged on just a couple of things – the break point conversion at the end and the fact that Federer was leaking one error too many at vital moments.

Federer overhit a forehand early in the second set to offer two breakpoints to Djokovic. The Swiss avoided falling to an early break when he mustered a few good serves to force the game back to deuce. A service winner helped Federer hold serve and stay level with Djokovic at 1-1. Federer matched Djokovic by holding comfortably with a forehand winner to keep it steady at 2-2.

The Swiss sought to attack in the fifth game, looking for an opening to storm back into the contest. But Djokovic did not need to open the umbrella just yet, since the errors kept flowing off the generous Swiss man’s racket. At 40-0, Djokovic seemed comfortable, but a belligerent forehand winner and a couple of errors from the Serbian renewed interest in a game that looked straightforward initially.

After a couple of deuce points, a classic backhand down the line winner from Roger raised the spectre of bringing the roof down. Even as the crowd readied their throats for an eruption, Djokovic sailed a forehand long to grant them their wish. Federer had taken his second breakpoint of the match to take a 3-2 lead.

In the very next game, Novak was offered an opening by a fleeting intervention by the tape as he sighted an opening at 15-30. An unseemly forehand error from Federer let the game slip into a deuce. An untimely double fault at game point allowed Djokovic a toehold into Federer’s shaky mind.

And though Federer saved a break point with a powerful service winner, the tape intervened again to offer another opportunity to Djokovic. Djokovic only had to stand witness this time around, as Federer sent in a second double to be broken straight back. The score was back on even keel at 3-3 and Federer’s opportunity for a rousing comeback seemed to have evaporated as quickly as it took steam.

But it suddenly knocked his door again, Djokovic making a couple of unforced errors to allow the Swiss the luxury of three break points. He only needed one, and for once the tape favoured him too, as he struck a forehand winner to earn another break at 4-3. The match came to a head with Federer serving for the set at 5-4.

Roger set up set point with a powerful service winner, but a forehand winner and a spectacular forehand cross court passing shot from Djokovic gave break point to the Serbian. Federer saved that one but a second followed soon, and Djokovic succeeded in pushing the Swiss behind the baseline to induce an error off the backhand to claw back to 5-5.

It was a break of serve that energised Djokovic and left Federer distraught. Djokovic seemed comfortable at 40-15 in the next game, but a couple of unforced errors brought up deuce and offered the Swiss a renewed glimmer of hope. Federer marched forward and was rewarded when he set up an easy put away to earn break point.

Roger Federer

But the world No.2 proved equal to the task and held serve when Federer dumped a backhand in the net. Once again it was Federer who had everything to do at 5-6 to keep the match alive. Federer began the twelfth game on the back foot when he started with a double fault, but he calmed his nerves with a smash winner on the next point followed by an ace down the T.

The Swiss forced the set into a breaker with an impeccable drop shot. Djokovic sailed a forehand just wide to offer a mini-break to the Swiss. But Federer responded in kind to gift it straight back and put it back on serve at 2-1. One of the best rallies of the match followed and it was Federer who came out trumps, with a reflex volley winner to gain an edge at 3-2.

Federer held steady on his serve to widen the gap to 5-2 and a backhand into the net from Djokovic offered four set points to the Swiss man. Federer took the set with an intelligent lob to take the match into a deservedly earned third set. Neither man was supremely impressive – struggling as they were to land barely half the first serves in and making as many as 43 unforced errors in that set.

But Federer managed to tighten his game and minimise the errors towards the end of the set to snatch the initiative back from the Serbian. These days though, Federer is rarely consistent and he relinquished the momentum very early in the final set. Federer took his mounting tally of unforced errors to 40, making three in a row, to be broken at love in the first game of the third set.

Djokovic offered a break point in the next game with an errant forehand, but a service winner put paid to any hopes for an immediate break back. Djokovic took it eventually on his third game point to take an apparently decisive 2-0 lead in the third set. Federer though signalled that he may have some fight left in him, holding to love in the third game.

Djokovic made Federer work extra hard in the fifth game and reaped rich rewards. A couple of brutally exhausting points helped the Serbian take the double break, when Federer struck a forehand cross court into the tramlines after a lengthy rally. Djokovic wasted no time to take a 5-1 lead and force Federer to serve to stay in the match.

A couple of return winners forced the seventh game to deuce, but Federer managed to take his third game point and hold to 5-2. Djokovic brooked no further delay, dealing a couple of aces to earn three match points. He needed just the one, taking the match on a service winner to earn his 15th victory over the six time champion.

Djokovic has never lost a match after winning the first set against Federer and that pattern remained intact, thanks mainly to Federer’s largesse. The Swiss made 45 unforced errors to 27 winners while the Serbian kept it relatively cleaner with 33 unforced errors and 29 winners. The victory helped Djokovic to the top of Group B, while Federer sank to the bottom of the group behind Juan Martin Del Potro and Richard Gasquet.