I Will Not Gameplan For Novak Djokovic In The Offseason

Federer’s failure to capitalise on form in finals is not a new phenomenon. Implacably. Inarguably. Almost serenely.

Djokovic calmly, nearly methodically, crushed an aggressive, sometimes brilliant Federer, who was desperate for an 11th-hour effort to end his year on a high note.

The super Serb finished his sensational season in style by beating bearded Roger Federer 6-3 6-4 in 80 minutes. Obviously, it’s a very long season, but the best of my life. Could he possibly snatch his year from what, for him, had to be a black hole of frustration?

“He was the better player in the match he won against me in the group stage”. Except for Davis Cup play, which can only feature players from Great Britain or Belgium, the 2015 season is now over.

And, of course, there was Federer.

Djokovic has already called this “by far” his best year, but now it is official. With Federer serving at 30-30, the Swiss player thought he had his first ace of the match. And on top of that he has now evened his head-to-head record against both Roger Federer (22-22) and Rafael Nadal (23-23).

“At the start of the week, I was anxious as Novak looked exhausted and worn out”, said Becker who was celebrating his 48th birthday on Sunday. So I believe that the last four tournaments, the positive results, the good feelings on court in terms of enjoying myself [are] much better. You are talking about narrow margins, a break point here and there can change the whole outcome, ” Federer said.

But all of his now active titles have contributed to a very lengthy stay on top of the ATP rankings. “With Novak, it is hard because he’s so all round”, the 43-year-old Dutchman, in town to spearhead Mumbai Tennis Masters in the second edition of the Champions Tennis League, told TOI on Sunday. Rafa has been there.

“I’ve got to keep pushing forward, got to keep practising hard, being serious about all the things I do”, he said.

Djokovic did indeed back it up in 2015.

Winning the first set is an essential element in this rivalry: Federer won the opening set in 21 of 22 career victories over Djokovic and the first-set victor had won the last eight clashes between the pair. Not in 2015. That’s the major difference between his two great years. “That’s the key, more or less”.

He was quoted as saying by several national newspapers: “I was going to go, but I am not going any more. It allows me to have the longevity”.

Looking through history, Federer’s incredible 2006 saw him drop only five from 97 games. It proved to be no idle threat, though.

It will be a rematch of last year’s ill-fated final where Federer was forced to withdraw before a ball was struck due to injury. His serve was a particularly valuable weapon. Djokovic’s ability to redirect the backhand either down the line or cross-court is a marvel to watch. It was anything but.

The Serb reached 15 finals and has lost just one match since August – a defeat to 17-grand slam victor Federer in the round-robin stage that he avenged in the final.

Novak Djokovic recorded a statistical oddity in his victory by winning 84% of points behind his second serve, considerably more than the 62% he won off his first serve. Djokovic was able to control his service games well and remained consistent from the baseline.