The revenge match between Novak Djokovic and
Roger Federer will take place on Friday, the 8th June to decide the
finalist from the top half. It was at the same stage last year that Federer
halted Djokovic’s incredible winning streak. The stakes are even higher this
year with Djokovic slated to equal Rod Laver’s age old record of holding all
the four Grand Slam trophies.
Djokovic appears to be peaking at the right
time. It is debatable whether the two five setters in succession were good or
detrimental to his chances. Federer too has been wading through troubled waters
in quite a few of his matches. Both are battle hardened for the war on Friday.
Djokovic might engage him in backhand
rallies since he has the best backhand in the game today and Federer does not
score many winners from that flank. However, Federer can do many things from
the backhand. His slice and variation of pace from that side does not give
constant rhythm to his opponent and therefore those who thrive on rhythm, do
not find them in their comfort zone. Djokovic thrives on rhythm and pace. He
does not get that from players like Federer or Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Federer is a steady match player. His
percentage of first serve is not going to get below 60% as happened against
Juan Martin Del Potro. Djokovic being the best returner, will not let many aces
past his racquet, but Federer will still manage a decent percentage of wins on
first serves. Djokovic will fire less number of aces, but a higher percentage
of wins on the first serve. While Djokovic uses return of serve as a weapon for
scoring points, Federer is a more consistent returner of serve. Whether the
ball is directed on his forehand or backhand, it goes back to land between the
service line and the baseline.
Federer is more comfortable at the net than
Djokovic and therefore he uses the length of the court more than others. Djokovic
is a baseliner who uses the breadth of the court more to pound ground strokes. Federer
will therefore play a more all court game, but whether that would be sufficient
to repulse the precision and power from the other end is to be seen. Djokovic
has restarted painting the sidelines with precision from the previous match
against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and that is not good news for his opponents. Even a
creative opponent like Federer can be reduced to chasing shadows all the time
and get little breather to innovate on the court. Federer may not let that
happen on a regular basis, especially on his own serve. He will set the pace of
the point on serve and be the first to pull the trigger. He does not have that
much precision as he had when he was a yard faster and therefore his count of
unforced errors is more when on attack. He has good defence, but he does not
play a defensive game like Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray. He takes position at
the baseline and not far behind making it difficult for players like Djokovic
and Murray to win points through drop shots.
Federer’s game may still be a mystery for
many on the tour, but players like Djokovic and Nadal have played him so many
times, that familiarity has set in. The backroom teams have dissected each and
every aspect and developed strategies to counter them. Federer has not done as
much as he mostly believes in his own game and tries to impose it on the day,
win or lose. Many termed it as stubbornness when he was regularly losing to
Nadal, but he has not changed much. Djokovic has bested clay courters in long
rallies where his superior court coverage has given him better leverage in
baseline exchanges. But Federer will not allow himself to be dragged in long rallies.
He will try to end the rally within ten shots mostly. Since he gets the mental
edge when up, Federer is likely to start faster than Djokovic. If he gets first
set in his pocket, he will transform into a more confident player. If he has to
win, it should be within four sets, for Djokovic has appeared invincible in the
fifth set for the last eighteen months or so.
When Federer defeated the invincible Djokovic
last year in the semi-finals, some called it a once in life time performance by
Federer. Can he repeat that performance? Yes, if only he lives twice; otherwise
lightening does not strike twice.
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