Djokovic beats Nadal, makes final — ATP Finals

But the Serb so often strikes at the key moment and he snatched a break to move 5-3 up, while a wayward forehand ended Berdych’s bid to continue the set – and his participation in the eight-man tournament.

“With a few time to practise and reassess his game, he’s going to be tough to beat in Australia (at the new year’s first Grand Slam)”. “It was a good match, with more breaks than we are used to”. Fortunately for Djokovic, though, he was there to tap it back over and get the point.

But Djokovic said: “It’s a fact that he’s been playing better and he’s been raising his level ever since the US Open”.

Like in the second set, Federer broke Nishikori early, in the third game, before conceding his own serve in the seventh game.

Even though Nadal led their head-to-heads 23-6, which included winning the 2013 French Open final, they were tied 4-4 on hard courts.

The Japanese looked the stronger player at the start of the deciding set but allowed Federer off the hook when he failed to break the Swiss’s serve in the third game having been 0-40 up. Nishikori did just that thanks to a couple of awesome winners and a miscued dropped shot from Federer. Nishikori managed to get out of his next service game to remain just a break down and still in with a shout. Federer held at love for a 5-4 lead and then broke Nishikori to close out the match. Djokovic has shown already this week and for the season how he chews up the second serve of his opponents.

He is right. Federer indeed is always ready on this surface as he proved in his stunning display over the World No. 1.

In a thrilling match Roger Federer bested Novak Djokovic in straight sets. In the end it’s a matter of if the ball lands in between the lines, you play good tennis’.

Nishikori remains certain he has the required talent and stamina to take home silverware from the Grand Slams and the Masters 1000 tournaments, but to do that he knows he must steer clear of those troublesome calf and hip complaints. The straight sets victory that Berdych needed for progression was now out of the question. With two career wins under his belt over the world number one, this was going to be a large task. “I don’t know yet”. As well for the Australian Open, to be ranked 2 or 3 for me has no impact. Djokovic booked his spot in the semis with a hold at 30 as all Berdych could do was play for pride. An ultra-aggressive returning game from Djokovic in the next game left Berdych with little chance to do anything to counter the power that the Serbian threw at him. While the win was an added fillip, it did rob him of a very important factor – his energy before facing the World No. 1.

Novak Djokovic is back in the final of the season-ending ATP finals.

Neither player had much at stake as Nadal had already clinched first place in the group and Ferrer had been eliminated, but the two baseline sluggers still went at it relentlessly for more than 2 1/2 hours in a match full of heavy hitting and long rallies.

The story ATP World Tour Finals: Roger Federer into semi-final after beating Kei Nishikori first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.