Djokovic and Federer Set Up Star-Studded Dubai Title Clash

February 27, 2015 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Roger_Federer_01_22
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg

The Dubai Duty Free Championships title match is all set and will feature the top two players in the world, as world number one Novak Djokovic and world number two Roger Federer each won their semifinal contests on Friday.

Federer was on court first and schooled 18-year old Croatian Borna Coric in a 6-2, 6-1 victory. A day after Coric upset third-ranked Andy Murray, the teenager was unable to muster anything against the six-time Dubai champion.

“He was just way too good for me,” said Coric. “I was feeling so rushed. I didn’t have any time to play my game plan. I was just trying to hold in the rally as long as I could. I was serving very badly…When you’re playing against a guy who is number one or two in the world, you need to be serving much better if you’re going to even compete with him.”

Federer jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the opening set. He won three of Coric’s four service games in that set and cruised in 27 minutes.

The theme was the same in the second set as Federer won 57 percent of the points on Coric’s serve, breaking the Croat two more times on his way to clinching the straight-set victory.

Despite winning in less than hour, Federer was very complimentary of the 18-year olds game.

“I can see why he has so far caused difficulties for some of the top guys and he still has a lot of room for improvement in his game,” Federer said. “He does a really good job for a big guy. It’s unbelievable how in the past 10 years we have seen so many big guys moving well from the baseline. I think he returns very well, especially off second serves, and that’s such a huge part of the game today, I believe.”

The Swiss will take on a familiar opponent in the final match when he meets Djokovic. The Serb played an up and down match against fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych and eventually came out on top 6-0, 5-7, 6-4.

Djokovic lost only eight total points in the opening set and hit 12 winners to roll 6-0.

In the second frame, Berdych was able to get himself back into it. He won the opening game of the set, and after the two exchanged a few break points the set was even at 5-5.

The Czech hung tough and won the next two games, clinching the set on his second set point chance.

At 2-2 in the decider, Djokovic displayed the type of baseline play that makes him the best return man in the world, giving himself three break point chances in the fifth game. He was able to get the break, the lone one of the set, and served out the remainder of the match to win in two hours and four minutes.

“Even after the first set that went as perfectly as possible and when I was break up I knew that the match is not over,” said Djokovic. “I just wanted to stay on that level, but it was hard. I started making some unforced errors, backed up a little bit, less first serves in. Then he stepped in.

From that moment on it was an even match, a lot of unforced errors from my side. [I] just wasn’t feeling the ball great in the third but somehow managed to hang in there.”

The Dubai final will be the 37th meeting between Nole and Fed. The Swiss leads the all-time series 19-17.

“When you play Roger, it’s always a great challenge,” said Djokovic. “If you want to win you have to play your best tennis, especially against Roger in the final of any event, but here particularly. Because I feel like this is the kind of a surface and conditions that it suits his game the best.”

Federer is seeking his seventh title in Dubai, while Djokovic is aiming to win his fourth Dubai crown and 50th title overall.


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Pointset
Oneononedoubles banner art resize

March/April 2024 Digital Edition