It’s safe to say that the 47th installment of the Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer rivalry did not disappoint.
In one of the most entertaining matches of 2018, Djokovic outlasted Federer 7-6(6), 5-7, 7-6(3) in the semifinals of the Rolex Paris Masters on Saturday night. Although the Serb did not break serve a single time, he managed to prevail after three hours and two minutes.
“We had epic matches throughout our rivalry but this one definitely ranks as one of the best matches we played,” Djokovic said. “High-quality tennis. Next to the match I played against (Rafael) Nadal in the semis of Wimbledon, this was definitely the most exciting match I was playing this year–and probably the best quality tennis match that I was part of.
“This is my best match of the year, that’s for sure. Big respect to Roger. Whenever I play Roger he demands the best of me.”
Djokovic was often at his best during this thriller, but certainly not all of the time–at least not on break points. The soon-to-be world No. 1 earned a whopping 12 break chances but could not convert on any occasion. He missed five opportunities in the first set, three in the second, and four more in the third.
After staying within striking distance by fending off three break points in the second, Federer eventually struck for the lone break of the contest at 6-5 in the second. That set the stage for a dramatic third, of which Djokovic finally took control with two mini-breaks in the first five points of the tiebreaker.
“The quality of his serve tonight was quite amazing, to be honest,” Djokovic said of Federer. “His serve was always his weapon. But tonight he was just hitting the spots beautifully. He was mixing it up.”
“When you lose a close match like this you always have regrets,” Federer admitted. “Losing is never fun…. Novak is obviously on a roll. You can feel it. He protects his serve very well.”
Djokovic, who is now 31-1 in his last 32 matches, will face unseeded Karen Khachanov for the title on Sunday. Khachanov trounced Nitto ATP Finals qualifier Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-1 in Saturday’s opening semifinal.
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nice one
I have to say I appreciate a lot Nadal fans’ comments from yesterday. I enjoyed reading everyone’s opinion with less saltiness this time.
Ha ha that’s because Fed wasn’t playing against Rafa.
Fed vs Djoko, for me I normally have no preference as to who wins, but would always prefer the less threatening one to win, less threatening to Rafa of course! And, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate how great both are!
To me Djoko has the best court positioning strategy- notice that he usually camps at the centre of the baseline so that he need not run too much to cover both wings; contrast that to both Fed and Rafa, they both tend to camp at their BH side of the court and so are made to run more to cover their FH corner. Andy Murray was also like Djoko, camping at the centre of the baseline most of the times.
As Fed (and Rafa) age(s), they’re slower when running to cover their FH side and so tend to mistime their shots. It’s noticeable in this SF when Djoko switched direction and attacked Fed’s FH.
I like your analysis lucky because you usually focus on the technical/strategical side. I find them valuable.
Thanks Eugene.
This is the grinders’ era. Gone are the halcyon days of aggressive tennis … http://www.138mph.com/atp-tennis-djokovic-escapes-loss-to-the-37-year-old-federer-paris-masters-1000/
Great match….2 super competitors….can’t wait for London!!
37 year old Roger took a lot out of Novak. He had nothing left for the final … http://www.138mph.com/atp-tennis-djokovic-escapes-loss-to-the-37-year-old-federer-paris-masters-1000/