Federer turns back the clock in set 1.
Federer came into the match on an 11 match win streak. And in Indian Wells, he had been in great form. He carried it over to the very start of the match. He broke Djokovic in the second game to lead 2-0 and then held his serve all the way to serving out to take the first set 6-3. His stats were as good as they can get. 74 percent of first serves in and 75 percent of those points won. 71 percent of second service points won. 12 winners to 9 errors. Ten approaches to the net and five points won. Against the game’s best returner and retriever, those numbers look even more impressive.
Djokovic knuckles down at the start of set 2 and changes things up.
In the second set, Djokovic did what he does best: he knuckled down and did not buckle. Not only that, he upped his own aggression. Leading 3-2 with Federer serving at 40-30, Djokovic took control of the point, hitting the ball flat, deep and angled from the centre of the court, getting the defensive floater and smashing the winner. Federer kept on with his own attacking style and won the game, but Djokovic had put pressure on his serve and gotten out of the rut of being blown away in Federer’s service games.
Djokovic breaks.
At 3-3, Djokovic’s service placement got him out of a deuce game. With Federer serving, all of Djokovic’s strengths came together. His depth of shot and tactical decision to hit to Federer’s feet on his backhand side, hitting to his body on the forehand and then being in the right place to hit the winner on the return, his retrieving skills. They all made matters awkward for Federer, who also made things difficult for himself as his first service percentage fell to 52 and Djokovic got the break. He then served out the set and was back in the match.
Djokovic turns the screw in set 3
Djokovic kept the pressure up in the first game of the third, taking Federer to deuce on his serve. The Serbian did the same at 1-1, getting break point when the variety on his backhand and his changing of the direction of the ball was peaking, a backhand down the line proving to be too much for the Swiss. Federer saved it with an ace, but the Serbian’s ability to get down and retrieve Federer’s flat low bouncing stokes and force him to go for too much earned him another break point. Federer did his best, getting his first serve in and sending it down the tee, but Djokovic’s feel on the return was perfect. The Serb sent the ball back deep to Roger’s feet, forcing an error and getting the break.
Federer fights back
Djokovic held all the way to 5-3 and then served for the Championships. But the Serbian, who had failed to serve out for the second set twice against Isner, faltered again. Federer had something to with it, too. The Swiss brought the Sebian to the net when he hit a short sliced backhand and Djokovic sent the volley long. Federer then got to 0-30 by coming in himself, his presence at the net seeming to force Djokovic into error on the passing shot. A Federer forehand that cleaned the line for a winner earned him 3 break points. The Swiss took it on his second when Djokovic went for too much on a short angled forehand.
Djokovic too steady in the tie-break.
The match went to a final set tiebreak. Federer served first, but could only deliver a second serve into Djokovic’s hitting zone on the forehand. The best returner in the game took control of the point, having Federer on the run or off-balance, and profited from a backhand error to go up a minibreak 1-0. A similar story happened at 1-3, Federer serving. Another second serve into Djokovic’s hitting zone and another rally ended on a Federer error, this one a netted forehand. Though Federer did have chances to control the rally when he changed direction of the ball and hit a forehand down the line, he was undone by Djokovic’s retrieving, the Serbian getting to the ball and then sending it back crosscourt and hitting the line. Djokovic did stumble at 5-1 serving when he hit a forehand down the line long but it with another mini-break in hand, he could afford to take the risk. A netted forehand from Federer as he approached the net and Djokovic had 4 championship points. Federer saved the first with an ace but the next one was on the Djokovic serve. The Serbian struck a second serve to the Federer backhand, a shot he then went for again on his next stroke. The tactic paid off as Federer errored on his vulnerable side. The championship was Djokovic’s.
Watch highlights of the match below:
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