The Serb will play Tomas Berdych in his final group match on Thursday and can still qualify for the last four.
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Still, Federer backed Djokovic to recover. With a 7-5 victory in set one, Federer was setting himself up for a famous win. Federer had a first set point at 30-40 up, but hit the net in a rally.
It proved costly as Berdych dropped serve in the next game and Nishikori clinched the set on serve with a pinpoint forehand victor past the wrong-footed Czech.
Djokovic said: “I made a lot of unforced errors and handed him the win but I still have the chance to make the semi-finals”.
He took the next game to love, to leave the defending champion with a mountain to climb. That ” s the most he can do and wait for a favourable draw from the Djokovic-Berdych match. Federer sensed his chance as he was beginning to land dents in the Djokovic serve as he outlasted the Serb in a fantastic rally to leave it at 15-15.
The eighth-ranked side beat home favourite Jamie Murray of Great Britain and Australia’s John Peers 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), the fourth-ranked pairing.
Berdych’s hopes of reaching the last four are now hanging by a thread. He broke again to start the second set and led 2-0, but Berdych won five straight games and eventually the set. The Swiss brought an abrupt halt to Djokovic’s astonishing 43-match winning run in the 2011 Roland Garros semifinals.
“That was a really big point”. Berdych took his momentum through the set as he went 5-2 up with a few big shots and at 5-3 in the set he went on to level the match with a trademark forehand to leave the contest all square.
Q: I think this is the second time this has happened for you against Novak. I mean, look at Federer throw his water bottle instead of kindly handing it to the ballkid, as per usual. “But, again, the day that I have between the two matches will allow me to reflect on this match with my team, work on things that didn’t go the way I wanted them to go”.
In the third and deciding set, Nishikori saved a break point at 3-3, the key moment in a match that lasted two hours and 23 minutes. Nishikori meets Federer on Thursday, with Djokovic facing Berdych. “I shaved this morning and got this beard this afternoon, it’s weird”. “It’s always exciting”, he said. He doesn’t look old for me.
But the Swiss great’s choice of chair meant Djokovic was left sitting on a bench with a blue towel reading “Roger Federer” laid out on the armrest.
“He’s just not going away”, said Djokovic. Coming into the ATP World Tour Finals, the longtime foes had battled it out in no less than six finals on the year.
LONDON (AP) – Even the best player in the world can have an off day, especially when he’s playing someone many believe is the best of all time.
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“It’s actually a fantastic experience”.
