Novak Djokovic did nearly everything in 2015, and he concluded his season on Sunday with a win over long-time rival Roger Federer at the 2015 ATP World Tour Finals.
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On Tuesday during round robin group play, the Swiss legend ended Djokovic’s 38 match win streak on indoor hard courts using his variety to break down the world’s top ranked player. Djokovic had played more than 24 hours before the final, Federer cut back on his media obligations in an attempt to get away from the O2 by 11pm.
Djokovic has landed three grand slams, a record sixth Masters 1000 titles and now the lucrative finale to the ATP season to cap a remarkable 2015 which he recently admitted has been his best. He had also become the first player since Nadal in 2008 to pass the 80 match-win mark in a season, and scored a personal best 30-3 record over top-10 opponents over the last two years.
After both players squandered a break point in the first two games, Djokovic started to click into rhythm in the third game.
By contrast, Federer was coming under more constant pressure on his own delivery, and he finally cracked in the 10th game.
With his fifth World Tour Finals championship on Sunday, Novak Djokovic has just completed arguably the most dominating men’s tennis campaign since Rod Laver’s Grand Slam year of 1969.
It, however, remains to be seen if Djokovic subsists with his godly form next season or will Federer’s experience be accentuated. Already on the doorstep of a place among the alltime greats, the French Open title will make him a member of another elite club- only Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have won each of the four Grand Slam tournaments in the modern era.
It will be a rematch of last year’s ill-fated final where Federer was forced to withdraw before a ball was struck due to injury. He said, per Henson: “It is never fun on the not winning side, it is better than not playing at all like past year”.
Somehow you doubt that Novak Djokovic will ever turn the O2 Arena into Belgrade-on-Thames, colonising it in the way Roger Federer does for one week per year.
He could have won the second set more easily if Federer had not saved three break points at 3-4 with some glorious flourishes, but it was holding off the inevitable. Except for Davis Cup play, which can only feature players from Great Britain or Belgium, the 2015 season is now over.
“Those two rivalries made me a better player, the player I am today, no doubt, ” Djokovic said.
Federer had only once beaten Djokovic from a set down in their 43 previous meetings, so the omens were not good. “I had a lot of great things in my game this year”.
This time he could not pull off a miracle, double-faulting on Djokovic’s second match point.
“I cherish every moment that I play competing on such a level”.
Asked if he needed to alter his style of play in a bid to subdue Djokovic, Federer said: “Not really because I feel I need to work on my overall game that is going to have an impact against most players”. I’m just trying to enjoy every moment on the court.
“Maybe at times I went for too much”, Federer said after the defeat.
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This time the crisis brought out some of Federer’s best tennis and clawed his way back from the brink with a string of big serves and booming winners.
