What a finale in London! Djokovic won the match but it wasn’t as easy as some predicted.
First Set 7-6 (6)
Roger started in the best possible way: 9 consecutive points and a 3-0 lead in a blink of an eye. Nole looked lost and the commentators started to remind the bagel he suffered this year in Cincinnati with the Maestro. It wasn’t about playing tennis, it was about weathering a storm… Federer’s storm.
But Nole knows how to do it. He found his rhythm, he hold serve to then go and break Federer in the 5 game. How was it possible? Roger was in full control of the match. Easy answer… that’s Nole.
“I was just trying to hang in there,” said Djokovic talking about the start of the match “It’s not the first time that Roger started against me so well. I’ve experienced before his aggression, really trying to put his mark on the match. I didn’t know in which direction the match would really go, but I tried to convince myself that I would make a turnaround and I will fight.”
Then Roger was breaked in the 8th game to break back in the following. The first set went to the tiebreak where Federer recovererd a 0-2 deficit and then saved a set point when he was 5-6 down with an incredible shot. Time to change the court on 6-6 all and Nole gets the tiebreak 8-6
Second set 7-5
Another very strong start from Roger that found an early 2-0 lead to then go and serve for the set when he was 5-3 up. Federer then squandered 2 set points when he was 40-15 up to then lose 4 consecutive games. Nole ended the match with an incredible Nadal-like backhand passing shot.
From Nole
“It’s very satisfying for my team and myself to conclude this fantastic season with a World Tour Finals win,” said Djokovic. “I never got to the finals of this tournament in London. The furthest I got is semi-finals a couple years ago where I lost straight sets to Roger. I wasn’t really feeling this surface very well in past couple of years. But this year has been different. I got motivated, got a little bit more physically fresh. I wanted really to fight and I really wanted to get as far as I can in this tournament. Winning all the matches I played makes it even more special.”
From Roger
“Today we had times where we had longer rallies, we had times where we had shorter rallies,” said Federer. “Like I mentioned, I think we had some great stuff out there. It was good playing such points. I think the quality was good. I shouldn’t have been broken as often as I was broken today. But then again, that obviously has something to do with Novak, as well. It was extremely close today.”
What do we take from this match?
It was the proper grand finale for a very fascinating season. Nole is the deserving world no.1, but today Roger showed to be in control and he just missed. He is not miles away… he is there.
Now our champions need some vacation.
Nole is the man to beat, but Roger and Murray are there to grab the top spot… and there is a guy from Mallorca that is about to come back… and he is not just a pretty face… he will be back to fight!
Remarkable 2012 and… game on for 2013!
