Roger Federer is already through to the World Tour Finals semis regardless of Thursday’s round-robin outcome against Kei Nishikori. For Nishikori, who is 1-1 through two matches, a win is absolutely essential to his tournament hopes.
Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori will be squaring of for sixth time in their careers and for the first time since this same tournament last year when they clash on the final day of round-robin action at the World Tour Finals on Thursday afternoon.
Federer is leading the head-to-head series 3-2 after getting the best of Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 at the O2 in 2014. The 34-year-old Swiss has won two of their three previous hard-court meetings, including two of two indoors. He also prevailed 6-1, 6-3 in front of his home fans in the 2011 Basel final. Nishikori pulled off upsets on the clay courts of Madrid in 2013 and one season later on hards in Miami.
The world No. 8 will have everything to play for in this one, even though he also needs some help from Tomas Berdych later in the day in order to reach the semifinals. Nishikori wins the group if he upsets Federer and Berdych stuns Djokovic.
After getting double-breadsticked 6-1, 6-1 by the world No. 1 on Sunday, Nishikori righted the ship two days later. Japan’s top player held off Berdych 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to keep his hopes alive. The back-injury concerns and horrendous serving that plagued him against Djokovic were things of the past.
Federer–not Djokovic–has been the class of the tournament so far. The 34-year-old opened by hammering Berdych 6-4, 6-2 before upsetting the 10-time major champion 7-5, 6-2 on Tuesday night. Thus Federer has already clinched a semifinal spot regardless of what transpires on Thursday.
That will give Federer an opportunity to work on whatever he wants to involving his game, which almost certainly means a handful of SABRs will be on display. The showdown should be more competitive than it looks on paper because Nishikori will be inspired while Federer may be holding just a little bit back. Once it nears the finish line, though, the six-time World Tour Finals champion will be motivated by ranking points, prize money, and quite simply another win.
Pick: Federer in 3
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If fed loses this does he still have shot at year end number 2?
no he has to win
WTF Fed got broken back to back then lose second set
gave back breaks in all three sets!
Kei can be an amazing shot-maker. Fed gets the break!
yeah…did you hear the fed f-bomb?!! he’s making a lot of noise for a man who is supposed to be tanking…
Yeah…hahaha
Can it be proven that Fed is tanking? If so, he should be disciplined
the serves are getting broken as if it’s a clay court match. Anyway Fed will win
SABR!! first one…
YES!! kei breaks…
??? what is this? why is Fed losing his serve again? It makes no sense…DFs?? strange…
I don’t think Fed is tanking the match…it’s Nishi who just wouldn’t go away…
I’m going to whisper my question very quietly. What happens if Nishi ends up winning this match? Who’s in and who’s out?
Fed has already qualified. Berdych is out.
Nishikori is still out
wow. amazing point from Kei…
ed,
You just asked the question I wanted to ask. I just turned on the match and found out what I have been missing. This is really something!
Fed is not tanking! Why would he?
What I want to know is, where was this Kei against Novak?
not there
Kei wasn’t match when he played Djoko in the first RR that’s why he lost so easily. Djoko didn’t have to do much.
Yep.
Pretty much like Stan wasn’t match against Rafa. Rafa didn’t had to do much.
abhirf.
Yes, I agree with you about Stan against Rafa. Although that is not a popular opinion here!
It’s not that I’m discrediting Rafa. He was pretty consistent in that match, but Wawa didn’t really test him much. Wawa was pulling the trigger far too early that night.
When Wawa wants to play, he doesn’t shy away from long rallies. Rather, he embraces it. It was clearly not the scenario that day.
Rafa played with much more authority against Murray yesterday. Though, he will really need to rep up his serve if he faces Nole in the semi. Nole will not spare such a serving performance.
abhirf is being consistent and reasonably objective unlike some Rafans here.
abhirf, as some other people here, sees what he wants to see…
Wawa was pushed 3m behind the baseline and couldn’t play his game…he is no defender, he can only beat Rafa when Rafa plays crappy defensive tennis…this time around Rafa did not indulge him with it…
sorry to jump in…couldn’t resist… 🙂
@nats,
Wawa not a defender!
Are you kidding me?
Looks like you haven’t really seen him play much then. He does defends a lot when he needs it.
That’s the interesting facet of his game : the ease with which he generates tremendous power even after standing so far from the baseline.
@ abhirf, 5:42
It’s not only me thinking that…tennis channel commies where saying the same thing…as I said, you see what you want to see…
nats, many here don’t put a lot of faith in what commies say about Rafa and Fed but now we are supposed to believe what they say about The Sulker?
One might say you hear what you want to hear, no? 🙂
Wawrinka IS a good defender.
Wawrinka IS a relatively poor indoor player. Worst career record in the Top 8 at just over 50%.
Majesty says abhirf is right.
@ hawkee 6:18 pm,
weren’t you the one saying those commies, i.e. so called experts must be trusted? You quoted a lot of them…why the shift now? The Majesty will lose the title soon if continuing this way…
Wawa is good as long as he can position himself for attacking tennis…if he is pushed behind the baseline with heavy top spins he is done and dusted…ask Rafa about it… 🙂
His indoor record speaks for itself.
and then amazing volley by Fed…
abhirf,
Oh I agree absolutely about Rafa! I think he played very well and also smart in that match. That wasn’t Stan even close to his best and the stats bear that out. I think you are correct about Stan pulling the trigger too early, but I also believe that at times he seemed to mentally check out in that match.
Rafa did play so much better against Murray. Great stuff from Rafa in that one! I don’t think there is any disagreement about Rafa’s serve. That’s going to have to improve if he wants to beat Novak. He’s got too good of a ROS, putting so much pressure on his opponents.
hahaha…Nole’s fans cheering for Fed now…
Courier just said he thinks Kei is going to hand this match to Fed.
Fed wins! Good match!
Allez Fed!
I repeat my earlier posting…
This is the only way that Fed won’t top the group.
Regardless of score, if T. BERDYCH defeats N. DJOKOVIC and K. NISHIKORI defeats R. FEDERER, then K. NISHIKORI wins the group and R. FEDERER qualifies 2nd.
It’s okay now.
So Novak has to beat Berdy and he will be #2 for his group and in the semis.
no, it’s enough for Novak to win a set and he qualifies..