Fed falls to Djokovic

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:24

The third seed lost the first set but responded superbly thereafter to clinch a 3-6 6-2 6-3 triumph and a final showdown against either Juan Martin del Potro or Andy Murray.

Djokovic headed into the encounter having won only two of his nine career meetings with the Swiss.

That record looked set to worsen when Federer broke his 21-year-old opponent twice to go 5-1 up in the first set. The world number three gave himself hope by breaking as Federer looked to serve out the set, but the former Wimbledon champion hit right back to go a set to the good.

The errors were coming thick and fast but Djokovic dealt better with the difficult, breezy conditions to stun Federer in the next two sets.

Djokovic broke early in a topsy-turvy start to the second set to establish a 3-0 advantage and, although Federer responded to get back within a game, the Serbian then reeled off seven straight games to level at one set apiece and then take a decisive 4-0 lead in the third.

Federer struggled to find any rhythm on his normally lethal forehand, with the 27-year-old Swiss committing a total of 47 unforced errors during the hour and 46 minutes of the match.

But it was hard to take anything away from Djokovic, who spent yesterday recovering from a stomach complaint he battled through in his quarter-final victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday.

Now get the WORLD’S BEST TENNIS MAGAZINE here