Novak Djokovic defeats Roger Federer for Indian Wells Final Spot
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, third seed at this year’s BNP Paribas Open, defeated Swiss second seed, Roger Federer in three difficult sets to move into the Final here for the second time. The Serb will move ahead of Federer in the
ATP rankings thanks to this victory. If he gets to number 2, Djokovic will equal his highest ever ranking on the ATP charts, repeating a feat he achieved at the start of 2010, when he surpassed Rafael Nadal to gain the spot.
The BNP Paribas Open is the first Masters event of the year, and as such, features an array of star players. Federer and Djokovic however, had both progressed to the semis without dropping a set. They are both former champions,
with Federer having won the title twice and Djokovic once. Both are also in immense form this season, with the Swiss Maestro having won 18 games and the Serb 16. Federer however, has suffered two losses this year—both to Djokovic—while his opponent remains
unbeaten as yet.
The two have met numerous times over the years. Most of their matches have come at important events, and many a tough duel has been fought out. While their overall head-to-head stood at 13-8 in Federer’s favour prior to this match,
Djokovic has won both their meeting this year in straight sets. Funnily enough, both those meeting were also at the semi-final stage of major events.
The match started off as was predicted, with Djokovic edging ahead. The Serb served 71 per cent of his first serves correctly, compared to Federer’s 57 per cent. He also won 68 per cent of the total points on serve, while Federer
only managed to take 57 per cent. Such weak serving by FedEx saw him face 4 break points, out of which he only managed to save two. He himself could not threaten his opponent’s serve, and thus lost the set 6-3.
The second set saw a resurgent Federer. He dominated Djokovic’s serving, only letting him win 55 per cent of his service points, and held his own well this time, to take 71 per cent of the points on his serve. He thus created 3
break points, only two of which he needed to level the match 6-3, 3-6.
The final set saw both players playing some excellent tennis. Again though, Federer’s serving was not up to mark. He only managed to land in 58 per cent of his first serves, while Djokovic excelled with 64 per cent of his first
serves landing correctly. The Serb’s conversion rate was also much the better, as he took Federer’s return to the task and won 58 per cent of the points on serve, compared to Federer’s measly 42 per cent. This allowed the third seed several opportunities to
break, and he converted 3 of them to seal the match.
With this victory, Djokovic extends his unbeaten streak this year to 17 games. His final against Rafael Nadal will surely be one worth watching, as both players look to be in superb form. While his domination of Federer this year
has effectively made him the 2nd best player in the world, a victory over Rafa will show the world that he is not just a one-trick pony and that he can beat both the best players on tour.
Tags: