Federer Not Done Yet

Just when we were announcing the end of his era, Roger Federer is showing he has plenty of sparks left in him, coming from behind to overcome Juan Martin del Potro in a winner-takes-it-all match at the ATP Championships in London. The victory secured his spot in the last four, where he'll go head-to-head with nemesis and world No.1, Rafael Nadal.

Following a disastrous season that saw his slip to No.8 in the world rankings, the Swiss caught fire just in time for the prestigious Season-Ending Championships, showing his rivals he is not done yet, that he is ready, both mentally and physically to give it one more fight. While his poor form, the back issues, and the mental tribulations have prevented him from playing his best for most of the season, Roger seems to have put all that behind him as he is laying the foundations for what he hopes will be a stellar comeback season next year. 

Although he was yet to qualify for the final tournament of 2013, Federer took a long break after his shocking loss to Tommy Robredo at the US Open, skipping the Asian swing. In this time span he parted ways with long-time coach Paul Annacone, opting to go solo for the time being. The risky strategy paid off and he came back energized and more focused. Well rested and clear-headed he got to play some great, consistent tennis in the last three tournaments he entered. It all started in his hometown, in Basel, where he made it all the way to the final, dispatching young guns Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Canadian Vasek Pospisil along the way. Even though he lost a nail-biting contest against del Potro, the result helped boost his confidence. Next week in Paris, he gained revenge on the Argentinean, overcoming him to reach the semis. He even had Novak Djokovic on the ropes for a set and a half, but unfortunately was unable to close out what would have been a magnificent triumph.

Having qualified for London the week before, Roger took full advantage of the opportunity. Although he lost another thriller against Djokovic, he beat both Richard Gasquet and del Potro to secure his place in the last four. The win against del Potro excited me the most because of fight back he was able to produce. Having gone 1-5 down in the opener, he responded in still holding two chances to level at 5. The Argentinean won the set eventually, but the momentum shifted in Federer’s favour. Although he was down a break in both sets, the confident Swiss managed to recover the deficit every time, serving out a superb 4-6,7-6,7-5 victory. The most important highlight of this match was Roger’s mental strength. The way he found his way out of the rabbit hole was reminiscent of the old day, of the days when the invincible Federer used to rule the world. Another positive was the fact that he took his chances, sealing the deal on his first match point by serving an ace. This is something that he failed to do this season, so again great progress here. He desperately needs to play smart on the big points if he wants to advance further in the tournament.

A win over Nadal might seem impossible, but with the right tactic and a great deal of self-belief, Federer can deny the Spaniard’s perfect ending to 2013. If the Swiss gets a sublime day at work, we might be in for a surprise, else Nadal will probably crush him. So set caution to the wind Roger, don’t blink, don’t doubt it, just play your best and beat Rafa! #letswinthis Federer!

Either way, it’s good to see Roger in this more competitive mode. Following the good results he’s had this past month, he set himself nicely for what could be a magnificent 2014.

Federer seems to have recaptured his winning momentum at the ATP Championships in London where he beat Richard Gasquet and Juan Martin del Potro to secure his place in the semifinals. He goes on to face nemesis Rafael Nadal next.

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The Raging Bull

Djokovic's extraterrestrial 2011 made his 2012 season look pretty modest as the Serb failed to reach the same heights he did the year before. Nadal's impeccable clay-court campaign, Federer's grass magic and Murray's New York fairytale have all overshadowed Novak, but his consistency eventually paid off when he secured the year-end number 1 ranking ahead of the ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Although Federer's withdrawal from Paris meant his lead was enough to guarantee he'll finish the season atop of the rankings, Novak had plenty to prove in London, especially after his Parisian nightmare. Wearing a Dark Vader mask, the Serb was given a little Halloween trick, crushing out in his opening Bercy tie after a shock loss to inspired American, Sam Querrey. 

Drawn against some fierce opponents, Novak was imperial in his round robin encounters as he battled through some hard fought victories over Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tomas Berdych. Having won his group, the Serb met Juan Martin del Potro for a place in the grand finale. In a rematch of the Olympic bronze medal clash, Djokovic got his revenge, coming from behind to stun the giant Argentinean. He recovered from a set and a break down, to win 4-6,6-3,6-2.

After digging himself out of the rabbit hole in his previous match, the Serb was once put under immense pressure as Federer got off to a flying start in the final. The Swiss built a 3-0 advantage in no time, looking all set to cruise through the opening set. Nole's fighting ability resurfaced once more as he got back the break to level the dispute before winning a tight tie-break to take the lead. Roger was not be to denied easily though, as the Swiss broke early in the second to seize the initiative. He even held two set points while serving at 5-4, but his ferocious opponent refused to give in. He broke back on a string of errors from Federer to pull the final blow. An extremely annoyed Roger found it difficult to focus as he lost his serve for a second time to hand Novak the trophy.

All of his wins this week, especially those against Murray, del Potro and defending champion, Federer, revealed Djokovic's main strength: his 'I won't give up' attitude. Bursting with self-confidence, he often manages to turn things around and win matches in which he plays way below his best. Having won his second ATP World Tour Finals crown, the Serb proved to be a worthy number 1 in men's tennis. 

In a battle between the best tennis players of the moment, Novak Djokovic came from behind to upset Roger Federer 7-6,7-5 to claim his second Masters Cup title.

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The Last One Standing

As things were unfolding until a couple of weeks ago, 2011 was threatening to become the worst season of Federer’s late career. Besides failing to capture a Grand Slam for the first time since 2002, the Swiss champion was left empty handed for more than 10 months, a period in which his best results were two finals at Dubai and Roland Garros. Moreover, after leaving a two sets to love advantage slip away at both Wimbledon and US Open, many were quick in writing him off, proclaiming the end of his era.
While Djokovic won most of the big prizes this year, his other rivals also enjoyed short moments of fame. Rafa ultimately shone on clay retaining his French Open crown after a difficult clay court season, while Murray found his brilliance in Asia ensuring a hat-trick in Bangkok, Tokyo and Shanghai. The only one to constantly struggle was the Swiss. Nevertheless, at a time when all the other contestants were jaded, injured and lacking focus, Roger came out stronger than ever. With title runs in Basel and Paris Bercy, he was again making headlines, getting himself back in the race for the ATP Masters Cup in London.
It was a vintage display from Federer under the O2 Arena's roof, as he topped the B group with victories over Fish, Tsonga and Nadal. His success over the latter was by far the most impressive, as it marked a clear demolition of his old time foe. The results of the other group worked in his favour and we next faced a semifinal date with David Ferrer, a player who barely troubled him in their 11 meetings. Things followed the same scenario, as Federer was too strong for the hard-working Spaniard who just didn’t have enough in him to challenge back. The win had an emotional edge to it, as the Swiss qualified for his 100 final. Also, he ensured enough points to pass Andy Murray in the rankings and finish the year at number 3.
The final showdown was nothing less than spectacular with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga putting in a fierce battle. Serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, Tsonga found the strength to break Federer’s serve to level to then push the set into a tie-break. He later fought off a match point at 6-5, before coming back to win the set and send the match into a decider. At that stage it was the Swiss’ brilliance that made the difference, a single break of serve being enough to guarantee him a record 6th ATP Masters Cup title.
Despite all the records he broke this week, the most important positive for Federer now is that he looks to have gotten back to his utmost best. The winning appetite is still stronger than ever and considering the recent success, the greatest player of all time has enough to build on going further in 2012. As he didn’t win a major this year, he will be keen on adding a few more titles to his already outstanding collection. However, this main objective for next year will definitely be the Olympic gold medal, his long term dream, probably the only one to elude him so far.
Thanks Federer, for a great end to a rather shabby season. You once again proved to be a genuine wizard in turning it all around. When most of your rivals were kaput following a demanding season, you found the strength to shine through, reminding everyone you are still greatest force in tennis. At the end of the year, you were the last one standing.

For a third consecutive Sunday, Roger Federer went head-to-head with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and their clash ended always with the same result. In the ATP Masters final, the Swiss beat the Frenchman 6-3,6-7,6-3 to claim a record sixth title at the event.

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Tsonga Shows Nadal The EXIT Door

Since coming into prominence at the 2008 Australian Open when he reached the final, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga maintained his place among the world elite, knocking on the door of ultimate glory on several occasions. Although he hasn't been able to emulate his best Grand Slam result, some strong performances this season indicate it won't be long before he will achieve his Grand Slam ambition.

Having qualified for the second time for the prestigious Masters Cup, the Frenchman was keen to make the most out of it. After succumbing to Roger Federer in the inaugural match, he knew he needed to win both upcoming round robin encounters to ensure a passage to the semifinals. He passed the first hurdle by  easing past American Mardy Fish, 7-6,6-1. It all came down to group B's final showdown, as he went head-to-head with Spaniard Rafael Nadal to battle for the last available spot. With both players having a victory under their belt, the winner was guaranteed to progress to the next stage.

While Jo is at home indoors, Nadal has always struggled on this surface. The Season's Ending crown has eluded him in four previous showings and few were counting on him to break the duck this year. It appears like the constant defeats to Djokovic have taken their toll on the former world number 1. After suffering another blow in the US Open final, Rafa became the shadow of the player he used to be. His London experience was a mere reflection of his current poor state of mind. After he scrapped a tight 7-6 third set victory over Fish in his opener, he was slaughtered by arch rival Federer who administered him one of the most humiliating defeats of his career, a 6-3,6-0 thrashing in less than 1 hour. Although he holds a 6-2 advantage over the Frenchman, Jo has always looked capable of troubling Nadal. Relying on his powerful serve and spectacular volleys, Tsonga was untouchable on serve in the first set. Rafa did wonders in forcing a tie-break, but some inspired shot-making from Jo-Wilfried saw him win it 7-2. For most of the second set things followed the same scenario. It was only in a tense 10th game that the Spaniard got a chance to break. He eventually took it and leveled at one set a piece. In the decider it was the Frenchman who drew first blood by breaking for 2-1. It was a cruising journey from then onwards for Jo, who sealed the victory on his second match point to book a semifinal date with David Ferrer.
Judging by his recent achievements, i.e. titles in Metz and Vienna and final showdown at Paris Masters, these past months have been the most consistent of Jo's career. As a result, he is currently enjoying the best ranking at number 6.
For Nadal the loss marks another failed attempt to add this trophy to his resume. And with the Spaniard admitting he has lost his passion for tennis, his fans have serious reasons to be worried. 

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