The Big Four faced each other in semi-finals and finals around the globe and kept the spoils to themselves.
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All players must be sick of Djokovic’s hegemony, but none more so than Federer.
The 34-year-old Federer went 4-1 at the ATP Finals, reached a record 10 final and finished the year as the oldest No. 3 after winning six titles. All 8 players at this year’s season-ending finale had competed at the event before, most on multiple occasions. But that is only the beginning.
He needs one more Tour Finals title to catch record-holder Federer and seven more Grand Slams to catch the Swiss great’s record-breaking total of 17. Already the Federer first serve was missing the spot and with the kind of precise returning that Djokovic can produce, the result was not in doubt. That gives the top players who participated in London little time to rest and recoup before a busy season that will also include the Olympic games in Brazil. And then Djokovic did what Djokovic always does in a final: he snuffed out any glimmer of hope and ground his way towards yet another trophy.
Djokovic’s consistency throughout 2015 was astonishing and the way in which he dominated all phases of the game – including the most crucial battleground of all in sports, that of players’ psyches – was incredible considering the increasingly physical nature of the sport.
“I think what I managed to do better than what I’ve done in the last match we played in the group stage here was the fact that I was more solid from back of the court”, said Djokovic. Obviously sitting here with this trophy alongside me, I couldn’t ask for a better finish.
As well as a cheque for £1.4million, Djokovic has also got level with Federer at 22-22 in career meetings. “I just try to be in the moment and see where it takes me”.
“Roland Garros is always one of the biggest challenges I have every year, but it’s not the only one”, he said.
The match lasted for 80 minutes.
Murray could have been forgiven for turning his thoughts to the final in Ghent when he dropped the opening set and was broken twice in the second set.
Djokovic’s win drew him level with Federer on 22 wins each in their career rivalry.
Not only that but he won six of the year’s Masters Series crowns and ended the year with an 82-6 win loss record – half of those defeats coming against Federer, including in the group stages earlier in the week at the O2 Arena. With Federer serving from behind, the Swiss was under constant scoreboard pressure.
“It’s hard to have time to do anything against him”.
Still, a year ago, Federer was forced to throw in the towel to Djokovic before he even stepped on court for the final.
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Just two men in the history of tennis have pulled off the monumental task of winning all four Grand Slam titles in a calendar year, but such has been Novak Djokovic’s dominance of the sport in 2015, the 10/1 about the Serb doing just that in 2016 looks good value. It would be his last moment of glory at the London tournament until next year. “I have to talk about him before Doha next year”, Djokovic grinned. Tried my best this week. A few of the points were insane. “But Novak deserved to win”. My serve has been really working very consistently throughout the year, more or less.
