Rodžer Federer pronašao je recept za gluten u svojoj kuhinji trikova pa je po treći put ove sezone savladao neprikosnovenog Đokovića, ovog puta prekidajući Srbinov niz od 23 uzastopne pobjede (prethodni poraz doživio upravo protiv Federera u avgustu), kao i onaj od 38 uzastopnih pobjeda u dvorani koji datira još od 2.kola Pariza 2012, a stao je na kraj i seriji Novakovih pobjeda (15) u 02 Areni u kojoj je poslednji put poražen 2011. Sve to je stalo u 1h 17minuta tenisa u potpuno zasluženoj pobjedi Švajcarca 7:5, 6:2. Meč je počeo sa brejk prilikom za Đokovića u prvom gemu, no Federer je riješio to dobrim servisom. U nastavku seta Federer je lako čuvao svoj servis, a imao je par poluprilika na servis protivnika, no nije mogao ni do brejk šanse, sve do 12. gema kada je Đoković servirao za opstanak u setu i tajbrek. Rodžer je odličan ritern gem krunisao briljantnim poluvolejom i tako iskoristio drugu set loptu za vođstvo od 1-0. Drugi set je počeo kako se samo poželjeti može - Federer je brejkom na startu odjurio do 2-0, ali nije uspio da brejk potvrdi na svoj servis, pa je Džoker iskoristio šansu i par drugih servisa Federera da izjednači na 2-2. Ipak tada kada se činilo da će po nekim ranije viđenim skriptama doći do potpunog preokreta, Maestro je ponovo digao nivo igre koji je bio neuhvatljiv za svjetskog broja 1. Forhend vineri od skoro 150 km/h, u kombinaciji s otrovno niskim bekend slajs udarcima kao i standardno miskovanje igre donijeli su Federeru novi brejk, a kasnije i dupli za ubjedljivo slavlje. Treba reći da za razliku od meča u Sinsinatiju kada je Rodžer do trijumfa došao ultra agresivnom igrom na mreži (koja nije dala rezultate u Njujorku), ovoga puta trijumf bio izvojevan sa osnovne linije tako što je Švajcarac nadjačao Đokovića u njegovoj zoni, osvojivši one najduže razmjene kao i dominirajući u srednjim razmjenama. Rodžer je meč završio sa 19 vinera i 19 neiznuđenih, ali bio je odličan u poenima nakon prvog (75%) i nakon drugog servisa (67%), a u potpunosti je riternom razorio servis Đokovića koji je nakon prvog servisa osvojio nevjerovatno niskih 51% poena i u tom segmentu leži i ključ sinoćne ubjedljive pobjede. Ovim trijumfom, drugim u grupi, Federer je praktično i matematički obezbijedio plasman u polufinale, koje mu je izmaklo samo jednom u 14 nastupa, pa će u poslednjem meču sa Nišikorijem igrati za prvo mjesto u grupi, ali i za dodatnih 200 bodova na ATP listi.
"Winning the first set clearly in a match like this gives you the upper hand," said Federer, at 34 the oldest player to qualify for the year-end finale since Andre Agassi (35) in 2005. "It was important to strike again as quick as possible in the second set, and I did."
"I didn't think I mixed it up that crazy, to be honest," Federer asserted. "I didn't play any insane tactics. It was pretty straightforward, in a way I've played him many times in the past. My game is to mix it up, change up the spins. His game is to press you away. I think we both played our regular game, and it was a good outcome for me tonight."
“To me, Novak is still the favorite of the tournament,” Federer explained. “He should make his way to the semis somehow. And he'll be the favourite in that probably, too, with the year he's had. He's far from gone. The way I know Novak, he's going to find a way to be tougher to beat from now on.”
“I think a tennis player never stops working on his game,” said Federer after the win. “Unfortunately, we don't have enough time to practise — a lot of match play, a lot of resting, a lot of preparing. In a perfect world, it would be great to have many more months to prepare, because you then could actually come back and be sort of a different player. Of course, it's our decision to take that time, but it's hard to sit on the sidelines for months when other guys are winning tournaments and your ranking is dropping in the process.
“I won't say I regret doing it,” confided Fededer, looking back on his title-filled career on the ATP World Tour, “but I wish I could have taken even more time to train on my game.”
“I think in the last couple years since I changed my racquet, that gave me a totally different approach on how I can return, how I can serve, what I can do,” he explained. “It was about keeping my forehand and my slice up to a standard which I liked. And naturally the backhand and the serve improved because of the easier power I received from my racquet. Of course, then tactical elements come into play more and more. The experience helps. The experience can also hinder you sometimes because of playing too much percentage tennis. I still feel like I'm young in the mind and I don't shy away from trying new things. That’s what keeps it still interesting for me.”





