Novak Djokovic reins in Roger Federer to reach final of Paris Masters

Novak Djokovic reacts after beating Roger Federer in Pais masters semi-final

Novak Djokovic saw off Roger Federer 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a testy two hour semifinal inside a packed Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy to keep alive his hopes of finishing the year ranked number one. The world No.2 came back from a set and a break down to turn the tables on his senior rival and clinch his 14th career victory over the Swiss player. Djokovic awaits the winner between Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, when he arrives on Sunday for his second final at the last Masters Series event on the tennis calendar.

Djokovic was surprisingly tentative at the start of the match, firing in a double fault on the second point of the match. Despite struggling with his first serve though, Djokovic managed to stave off deuce and hold serve to get the match off to an interesting start. Federer was the exact opposite, holding at love to get off the blocks clean and sharp.

In the third game, Djokovic dug a hole for himself when he double faulted twice in a row from 30-15 to offer the first breakpoint of the match on a platter. Federer made the most of this sudden gift, taking the break with a thumping backhand volley winner. A perfectly timed drop shot in the next game allowed Federer to consolidate without too much fuss. At 3-1, it was Federer who looked far more assured than his opponent and crowd seemed to love the man in front as if he was one of their own.

Federer had another opportunity to break in the fifth game, but Djokovic held on to stay within striking distance. With the Swiss serving for the set, Djokovic engaged in a prolonged duel before Federer ended the rally with an unforced error off the backhand to find himself in a spot of bother at 0-30. Soon Djokovic enjoyed his first break points of the match, when Federer erred off the forehand to fall to 15-40. Under trouble, the Swiss attacked the net and nailed a backhand volley winner to stave off imminent danger.

It was an edgy game that went to deuce four times. Eventually, Federer set up his second set point with a forehand down the line winner and Djokovic responded by flailing a cross court backhand long to hand the set to his opponent. The set lasted 48 minutes and Djokovic paid the price for his erratic serve – he had four double faults, two of which came in the vital third game. Federer on the other hand saved all the four breakpoints on his serve – each of them in the final game – to take the set 6-4.

At the start of the second set, Djokovic made a meal of a forehand cross court at 30-30. He made an uncharacteristic error, going wide with an open court at his disposal to offer breakpoint to Federer. The Serbian saved that with a big serve, but soon offered another breakpoint. This time Federer converted thanks to a rushed forehand error from Djokovic.

But Roger courted trouble immediately, playing a loose second game. A lengthy rally ended in the Serbian’s favour when Federer sank a slice in the net to offer an opportunity to break straight back. Djokovic took the gift home, wrapped in an ugly backhand error from the Swiss maestro. At 1-1, 30-30, Federer scented another opportunity but with the points under control made two straight forehand errors to embrace the net and spurn the break.

Djokovic enjoyed a couple of breakpoints in the sixth game, but Federer proved equal to the challenge. He clawed back to deuce with the help of a forehand cross court winner and a sweetly timed half volley off the backhand. But then, Federer made a couple of hasty forehand errors to help Djokovic take a 4-2 lead. It was a moment that marked a shift in the momentum of the contest.

Not long after that, Djokovic earned a set point with a delectably constructed drop shot that left Federer chasing air. The Serbian took the set 6-3, with a service winner to take an engaging contest into a decisive third set. The turn of events hinged on Federer’s service frailties – the Swiss lost eleven of 24 service points to face relentless heat from his far more efficient opponent. At the other end, Djokovic ironed the chinks in his serve, avoiding any double faults in the second set and serving three aces.

Federer got off to a tight start in the third, but a couple of service winners helped Federer hold serve to initiate the decider. But Djokovic snatched his pound of flesh when he converted at 30-40 in the third game, with a thundering forehand strike. Federer was way behind the baseline and already stretched, his response landed in the net to surrender an early break to the 2009 Paris Masters champion.

Once again, as he did midway through the second set, Federer had a sniff at 30-30 in the fourth game. But Federer squandered an opportunity to earn breakpoint by courting the net with his forehand. Djokovic consolidated his advantage to take a commanding 3-1 lead to take the game into the final stretch. The Serbian held at love in the sixth game to stay on course for a place in the finals, for only the second time in his career.

Federer appeared to be progressing toward a comfortable hold in the seventh game, when Djokovic persisted in a prolonged rally to finish the point with a perfect backhand lob on the run. The point turned the game around and Djokovic converted the breakpoint that followed with pin point forehand cross court to the inside corner to inch nearer to victory at 5-2.

In the next game, Djokovic earned three match points with a second serve ace, before completing formalities with a stinging forehand cross court winner from mid-court. After being down in the early stages of the contest, Djokovic raised his game at just the right time to snatch control of the match and waltz past an advancing Federer.

As has been the story so often this year, Federer began fluently, only to discover erratic habits as the match progressed to squander his chances of victory. The Swiss grew increasingly erratic as the match progressed, especially on the important points. Federer made as many as 37 unforced winners, which was ten more than Djokovic.

The Serbian, in contrast, better as the match progressed notching up 27 winners to only 23 from Federer. Importantly, as soon as the Federer serve dipped a little in the second set, Djokovic pounced on the second serve to pile the pressure on his opponent. The world No.2 took 18 of 30 points that were played on the second serve, underlining how he gained a stranglehold of the contest as it wore on.

Djokovic has now won four of the last six meetings against Federer. The two shall meet again next week in the round robin phase of the ATP World Tour Finals in London, where they have both been drawn into group A.