With two more group ties remaining against Federer and Berdych, Djokovic’s stroll by the banks of the River Thames was a significant statement of intent to his rivals.
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Roger Federer recovered from a sloppy start to outclass Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-2 as he began his 14th consecutive ATP Tour Finals appearance in impressive fashion on Sunday.
Federer said his match against Djokovic tonight “is not the match that I care the most about, to be quite honest” and that “it’s going to be interesting to see how I play that one”. “Anyway, in important moments he was better than me”.
Before the start of the match, both players stood heads bowed during a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of Friday’s Paris attacks, with the French flag’s red-white-blue tricolour plastered on the electronic banner surrounding the O2 Arena.
The Serbian world No1 showed the kind of form that has made him an unbeatable force on indoor courts for more than three years with a 65-minute demolition job. With Nishikori serving, Djokovic won 30 of the 53 points.
“He didn’t serve as well as he can and I played a bit better at the end of both sets, and that got me the win”. “I’m very ashamed with this score”.
“I couldn’t do anything”.
“I made a lot of unforced errors”. He is unbeaten since 2012 and is bidding to become the first player to win four successive World Tour Finals titles. But I think that’s mostly because I was playing so well.
Ferrer fought off pressure in the fourth game and then again at 3-4.
Djokovic notched his 15th straight win at the season finale – a record in the 45-year history of the prestigious tournament – with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over eighth seed Kei Nishikori in 65 minutes in their Group Stan Smith.
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Federer and Djokovic will now meet each other on Tuesday while the evening match on Monday pits Stan Wawrinka against Rafael Nadal.
Nishikori had previously won two of the pair’s six meetings on tour, including a shock semi-final victory at last year’s US Open, but he never got a look-in here.
This remains the biggest tournament Nadal has not won, and it would be a major surprise if he was to change that after a fallow year that has brought only three minor titles and, for the first time since 2004, no grand slam.
That has not been the case in doubles, and on Sunday lunchtime Jamie Murray and Australian John Peers marked their debut at the tournament with a narrow 7-6 (7/5) 3-6 11-9 victory over Australian Open champions Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli. But then immediately I was playing well.
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Federer, of course, can be excused for not sounding terribly excited about his 43rd duel against Djokovic.
