After a relatively lackluster run to the second seed out of Group Stan Smith, Novak Djokovic picked up the pace when the World Tour Finals brought a do-or-die situation to the table on Saturday afternoon. Djokovic rolled over Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-3 in just one hour and 19 minutes during semifinal action at the O2. The world No. 1 dropped a mere 10 points in nine service games and did not face a break point.
“Everything,” Nadal said when asked what is making Djokovic so difficult for him and everyone else. “Hitting amazing. The return (is) always amazing…. He was better than me and he deserved to do what he did during the whole season. He played just fantastic.”
Djokovic could not disagree.
“I’ve had some matches where I’ve played some really flawless, incredible tennis,” the 10-time major champion said when asked about his best performances this year, before highlighting the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals.
Those two titles came against Roger Federer, who will once again be Djokovic’s adversary on championship Sunday in London.
Federer punched his ticket to the final by taking care of fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 6-3 in Saturday’s nightcap. The 34-year-old needed just one hour and 10 minutes to get the job done.
“It’s not that I play really bad,” Wawrinka assessed. “I’m not tough enough mentally with myself. I’m not completely there…. [Federer] has the perfect game against my game. He’s mixing (things) up a lot, he’s serving well, he’s putting a lot of pressure (on me); playing so fast.”
“Feeling slightly better than last year,” joked Federer who had to withdraw from last year’s title match because of a back injury. “I’m feeling good. I feel completely normal.”
This time it won’t be game off. It’s game on.
[polldaddy poll=9192449]
New vs old GOAT in the final.