Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, London
[CR3] Roger Federer (SUI) vs. [CR8] Kei Nishikori (JPN)
Federer had already secured his spot in the semifinals; therefore, he could have coasted today and let Nishikori win. That is not Federer’s style. The champion that he is goes out and competes fiercely in every match. Today he was pushed by Nishikori to pull out his best tennis to defeat him. Although there were a few dips in the quality of the tennis, it was great tennis from both players. Nishikori gave everything and then some to win this match, but in the end, Federer was too good. He mentally and physically wore Nishikori down to win 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Federer advanced to the semifinals undefeated in his group and keeps his chances alive for his 7th ATP World Tour Finals title.
Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini finally got their first victory of the tournament, but it was to no avail as they were already eliminated from the tournament. They defeated Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea 6-4, 1-6, 10-5, who had already clinched their berth in the semifinals.
The third match of the day was crucial for both teams; however, more was at stake for the Bryan brothers. They needed the victory to secure their spot in the semifinals; however, more important, to keep their chances alive of ending the year as the number one ranked doubles team. It was a titanic battle between two teams wanting victory. Murray and Peers took the lead and things looked grim for the brothers; somehow, they were able to dig deep to steal the match tiebreak when it looked hopeless. The Bryan brothers are into the semifinals with the 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 16-14 defeat of Jamie Murray and John Peers.
The outcome of the final match of the day also decided the fate of the contenders. Tomas Berdych could advance to the semifinals, if he defeated Novak Djokovic. How likely was that to happen? Djokovic came out ready to reclaim his place in the spotlight. Although he was not as dominant, he got the victory 6-3, 7-5.
