Novak Djokovic is convinced that he can achieve even more after finishing the season with success in the ATP World Tour Finals.
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Rafael Nadal said he would have to redouble his efforts to return to form after the worst year of his career if he is to get the better of world number one Novak Djokovic next year.
But Sky Sports expert Annabel Croft believes she saw cracks in Federer’s focus as he faced-off against Djokovic, who had previously defeated him in this year’s Wimbledon and US Open finals.
The 14-times grand slam champion has won 14 of his 18 matches since a disappointing defeat in the U.S. Open third round by Fabio Fognini, reaching finals in Beijing and Basel as well as the semis in Shanghai. That pattern would hold true again in this encounter.
“Roland Garros is always one of the biggest challenges I have every year, but it’s not the only one”, he said. Beyond Murray, the other three players departing after the round-robin phase were Ferrer, Tomas Berdych and Kei Nishikori. For all his feats on the circuit, he considers the 2010 Davis Cup victory, where he won both his singles matches, as among his proudest accomplishments. “You’re here to watch Roger and Novak”. The set would remain on serve, and after Djokovic saved a couple of break points, would take the opening set 6-3 from the Swiss. Have a good Christmas and Happy New Year. “I’ve lost against Roger three times this year”.
Djokovic wasn’t exactly dominating.
Djokovic, who won the event for the first in 2008, has now collected the season finale five times and surpassed Ivan Lendl’s 1987 feat. Federer was getting frustrated, he was desperately trying to shorten the points. Federer knew that if he tried to rally with Djokovic from the back of the court, he was in trouble – it would be like standing in front of a steam roller armed with no more than a winning smile. He broke Roger a second time to take the first set.
Why did Nadal continue draining his energy in the Ferrer match after losing the first set? This is the kind of domination that was Federer’s hallmark in his best years. In the often overlooked area of second serves, Djokovic was dazzling.
Not a break point appeared on his side, while a rash drop shot into the net and a too-slow net attack put him at 0-40. However, Djokovic had other ideas. He responded with a love hold, that silenced the crowd. He wasn’t going to let himself get frustrated today.
Djokovic, on saying two days earlier that he “handed the win” to Federer: “We can look at the transcript”. The entire match he was struggling with finding the right balance between consistency and taking risks. He he will enter 2016 full of confidence with little reason to expect anything but a repeat performance or better. Even the final point of the match was a double-fault. He went for the serve, and missed it.
“If I played the match again, that is what I would try to do different”.
At the moment, it’s hard to see who is going to end Djokovic’s control.
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The Serb’s 6/3 6/4 victory over the Swiss was as convincing as it sounds.
