VietNam Culture: match points

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Djokovic out to rock Federer from the off

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is seeking a fast start when he takes on defending champion Roger Federer on Thursday with a place in the Australian Open final at stake.

The 23-year-old Serb beat the Swiss at the corresponding stage at Melbourne Park on his way to winning his only grand slam title in 2008 and believes he is playing well enough to give himself a chance of another upset.

"Definitely you have to start well," Djokovic said after destroying Thomas Berdych in the quarter-finals. "You have to try to get him on the run as much as you can and try to let him know you're there to win.

"I felt like I'm starting to play my best tennis in the last five, six months," he added. "I have more experience on the court. Physically I'm fit. I'm hitting the ball better and I have more variety in the game.

"Serve has been much better, which is very encouraging fact because it's been an issue for me in the last 12 months."

Though nowhere near the intensity of the Federer-Nadal duel that has defined men's tennis for the last seven years or so, Djokovic has developed something of a rivalry with the 16-times grand slam champion.

Djokovic came out on top at their last grand slam meeting in the semi-finals of last year's US Open, clawing his way back from two match points down to beat the Swiss in five sets.

Federer got a measure of revenge in their last meeting, however, when he crushed Djokovic 6-1 6-4 in the last four of the ATP Tour finals in London last November.

Victory for Federer, who holds a 13-6 advantage in their head-to-head, would mean a sixth Australian Open final for the second seed, who agreed with Djokovic that the match was likely to be decided by just one or two key points.

"The U.S. Open was a close match," recalled Federer. "I think I had two match points ... I guess I should have won really. I mean, I was playing good enough to win.

"But I was a bit confused mentally maybe... maybe I just felt like I have to get out of this match as quick as I could to save energy to play Rafa the next day.

"In the end, it was a shot here and there. He whacked those forehands in the corners the way he had to turn the match.

"He's a quality player who plays really offensive, he takes it to the opponent. I enjoy playing against him because of the shot-making we are able to create really."

Injured world number one's Rafa Nadal shock exit from the tournament on Wednesday means in-form British fifth seed Andy Murray or Spaniard David Ferrer will await the winner in Sunday's final.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Djokovic stuns Federer, has Nadal in US Open final

Rafael Nadal from Spain celebrates after his win against Mikhail Youzhny from Russia during the men's singles semi-finals of the US Open 2010 match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York

Photo: AFP

NEW YORK – Novak Djokovic tore up the script at the US Open on Sunday defeating Roger Federer in a pulsating semi-final to torpedo hopes for a dream final between the Swiss star and Rafael Nadal.

The Serb third seed saved two fifth-set match points before producing a final flourish to hand a crushing defeat to five-time former winner Federer 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5.

Top seed Nadal had earlier won through to his first US Open final in starkly contrasting style, coasting past Russian 12th seed Mikhail Youzhny 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

The Federer-Djokovic match was the best yet in the tournament, swinging one way and then the other twice before it came down to who could find another gear at the culmination of the fifth set.

Federer had reached the last six finals at Flushing Meadows, winning five of them until he lost to Juan Martin del Potro last year. He had two match points on the Djokovic serve at 5-4 but could not take them.

Djokovic then broke Federer in the next game and he held his nerve to serve out for his first win over the 16-time Grand Slam winner at the US Open, having lost to him in the 2007 final and the semi-finals in 2008 and 2009.

Federer, who won the Australian Open this year, but went out in the quarter-finals at the French Open and at Wimbledon, said that it had been a tough loss.

"Can't turn back time, but obviously he had to come up with a couple of good shots on match point, so I don't feel I have that many regrets in that regard," he said.

"Obviously you feel like you left something out there if you lose the match having had match point.

"But it wasn't the final, so I'm not as disappointed it would have been the final. That's the only positive news to enjoy anything out of it."

Djokovic, whose single Grand Slam title to date came at the 2008 Australian Open, when he also beat Federer in the semi-finals, said that it had been a match he would remember for the rest of his life.

"Not just because I won against one of the best players that ever played this game at that occasion, but as well coming back from match points down and under the circumstances playing good tennis and winning in the end, the thriller, you know.

"I am very proud of myself. There are a lot of emotions involved. Of course I was too exhausted to show them in the end. But it has been a fantastic semi-final."

Nadal's win over Youzhny was a one-sided affair, with the Spaniard too powerful and confident against an opponent who had needed to battle through a long five-setter just to reach the last four.

The French Open and Wimbledon champion powered into the final without losing a set and he has dropped his serve only twice in six games.

"It's another step I think in my career, so for sure is a very important victory for me," Nadal said.

"To be in the final of the last Grand Slam of the year is something new, because I always arrived here with problems."

Speaking before the second semi-final had started, Nadal said that Djokovic would be a tough opponent in the final.

"He's a very difficult opponent for me, especially I had a lot of loses against him in this kind of surface," he said.

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