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Roger Federer breezes past Kei Nishikori at ATP World Tour Finals Roger Federer breezes past Kei Nishikori at ATP World Tour Finals
(35 minutes later)
Roger Federer looks in the mood to win this tournament for the seventh time in 13 visits and perhaps return to No1 in the world in the highly unlikely event of Novak Djokovic slipping up in London over the next few days.Roger Federer looks in the mood to win this tournament for the seventh time in 13 visits and perhaps return to No1 in the world in the highly unlikely event of Novak Djokovic slipping up in London over the next few days.
Only the Serb and Federer’s compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka, who are in the other group of the ATP World Tour Finals, have shown the sort of form to stop the elegant Swiss who is playing nearly as well at 33 as when he won the last of his 17 majors in 2012 – when he had only one set of twins instead of two.Only the Serb and Federer’s compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka, who are in the other group of the ATP World Tour Finals, have shown the sort of form to stop the elegant Swiss who is playing nearly as well at 33 as when he won the last of his 17 majors in 2012 – when he had only one set of twins instead of two.
Djokovic, who wiped the O2 Arena floor with new US Open champion, Marin Cilic, for the loss of just two games in his first match and plays Wawrinka on Wednesday night, is still the favourite to keep his title, as Federer acknowledges.Djokovic, who wiped the O2 Arena floor with new US Open champion, Marin Cilic, for the loss of just two games in his first match and plays Wawrinka on Wednesday night, is still the favourite to keep his title, as Federer acknowledges.
“Novak looks great,” Federer said after beating Kei Nishikori in just an hour and nine minutes on Tuesday, to add to his opening victory over Milos Raonic, who also did not detain him long. “No disrespect to the other players on the other side. I know they’re going to have their chance against Novak, as well – Stan and [Tomas] Berdych. But I’ve played Novak here in previous years, and I know how tough he is to beat here.” “Novak looks great,” Federer said after beating Kei Nishikori in just an hour and nine minutes on Tuesday, to add to his opening victory over Milos Raonic who also did not detain him long. “No disrespect to the other players on the other side. I know they’re going to have their chance against Novak, as well – Stan and [Tomas] Berdych. But I’ve played Novak here in previous years, and I know how tough he is to beat here.”
Federer, who insisted “it was never the goal to win world No1”, nevertheless is in superb form and just seven wins away from 1,000 for his career, 70 of those coming this year, which makes him the oldest player in the ATP’s ranking history to reach that figure. “My focus is rather to try to win the World Tour Finals,” he said, “then play a good [Davis Cup] finals next week. The rankings anyway are going to follow or not.” Federer, who insisted “it was never the goal to win world No1”, nevertheless is in superb form and just seven wins away from 1,000 for his career. Seventy of those came this year which makes him the oldest player in the ATP’s ranking history to reach that figure. “My focus is rather to try to win the World Tour Finals,” he said, “then play a good [Davis Cup] finals next week. The rankings anyway are going to follow or not.”
Yet it has become increasingly evident over the past year or so that Federer, who forged his championship pedigree in big five-setters in grand slam tournaments for more than a decade, is now more lethal over the shorter distance, as Nishikori, nine years his junior, discovered. Yet it has become increasingly evident over the past year or so that Federer, who forged his championship pedigree in big five-setters in grand slam tournaments for more than a decade, is now more lethal over the shorter distance as Nishikori, nine years his junior, discovered.
There remains the suspicion that, if Federer has to travel beyond three sets, he is vulnerable, as was the case when Djokovic beat him in the Wimbledon final this year. In the sport’s lottery form, however, he hardly raised a sweat accounting for Nishikori, 6-3, 6-2. There was barely time for a decent Mexican wave; in fact, after five sessions, no match had gone the full course, with Monday’s singles both over inside an hour. There remains the suspicion that if Federer has to travel beyond three sets he is vulnerable, as was the case when Djokovic beat him in the Wimbledon final this year. In the sport’s lottery form, however, he hardly raised a sweat accounting for Nishikori, 6-3, 6-2. There was barely time for a decent Mexican wave; in fact, after five sessions no match had gone the full course, with Monday’s singles both over inside an hour.
“The season’s been long for most of the guys, and maybe some feel it more than others,” Federer said of the obvious leg-weariness in some of the other seven finalists who made it to Greenwich. “The season’s been long for most of the guys and maybe some feel it more than others,” Federer said of the obvious leg-weariness in some of the other seven finalists who made it to Greenwich.
He plays Andy Murray on Thursday in the concluding match in Group B. It is fair to say Nishikori was a level down from his form in defeating Murray in the tournament’s opener on Sunday, and he paid for not capitalising on brief early nerves by Federer.He plays Andy Murray on Thursday in the concluding match in Group B. It is fair to say Nishikori was a level down from his form in defeating Murray in the tournament’s opener on Sunday, and he paid for not capitalising on brief early nerves by Federer.
The exquisite torture with which Federer can break down even the very best players struck Nishikori as early as the fourth set and, right wrist strapped and a break down, he never recovered. When he held through deuce and Federer served to love for a 5-2 lead after just half an hour, it did not look good for the 24-year-old Nishikori. The exquisite torture with which Federer can break down even the very best players struck Nishikori as early as the fourth game and, right wrist strapped and a break down, he never recovered. When he held through deuce and Federer served to love for a 5-2 lead after just half an hour, it did not look good for the Japanese.
He fought hard but Federer kept him off balance in the second set with deft switches of direction, and he was reduced to playing rescue shots rather than getting into good positions to hit winners. He fought hard but Federer kept him off balance in the second set with deft switches of direction and he was reduced to playing rescue shots rather than getting into good positions to hit winners.
Federer was generous in praise of the 24-year-old loser, who has had by far his best season with victories over Grigor Dimitrov, David Ferrer and Federer in Miami; Raonic and Ferrer in Madrid before retiring injured when well placed against Rafael Nadal in the final; and, in the best week of his career, Raonic, Wawrinka and Djokovic before tired legs gave up on him in the US Open final against Cilic. Federer was generous in praise of the 24-year-old loser who has had by far his best season with victories over Grigor Dimitrov, David Ferrer and Federer in Miami; Raonic and Ferrer in Madrid before retiring injured when well placed against Rafael Nadal in the final; and, in the best week of his career, Raonic, Wawrinka and Djokovic before tired legs gave up on him in the US Open final against Cilic.
“I think his serve has improved again,” Federer said. “He has good groundstrokes and he’s fast. He is a more complete and better overall. Today maybe he didn’t quite get it going, [but] you could see why he had the success he did have this year.” “I think his serve has improved again,” Federer said. “He has good groundstrokes and he’s fast. He is more complete and better overall. Today maybe he didn’t quite get it going, [but] you could see why he had the success he did have this year.”
In that context – even if Nishikori was mildly inconvenienced by a wrist injury and his serving was off – this was a pretty good win for Federer, who is building up a familiar head of steam in a tournament he clearly enjoys. In that context – even if Nishikori was mildly inconvenienced by a wrist injury and his serving was off – this was a pretty good win for Federer who is building up a familiar head of steam in a tournament he clearly enjoys.
As for the disappointment of the one-sided matches here, Federer puts it down to the slow courts, giving baseliners an advantage. “It’s very much a game of movement,” he said. “Whoever’s better from the baseline has the upper hand, then dominates. That’s why we’re seeing heavy scorelines, because it’s just hard to serve your way out of trouble. It’s almost not possible, time and time again. You need to hit a lot of great shots, if it’s not working well for you, to have an impact. As for the disappointment of the one-sided matches here, Federer puts it down to the slow courts giving baseliners an advantage. “It’s very much a game of movement,” he said. “Whoever’s better from the baseline has the upper hand, then dominates. That’s why we’re seeing heavy scorelines because it’s just hard to serve your way out of trouble. It’s almost not possible, time and time again. You need to hit a lot of great shots, if it’s not working well for you, to have an impact.
“Novak and Stan both have played very well, which made it very difficult for the other guys. Cilic’s and Berdych’s serve didn’t have the impact that we normally know they can have. So, I think the best movers are most likely going to come through here.” “Novak and Stan both have played very well which made it very difficult for the other guys. Cilic’s and Berdych’s serve didn’t have the impact that we normally know they can have. So, I think the best movers are most likely going to come through here.”