 Djokovic remains on course to defend his title
|
Reigning champion Novak Djokovic battled back from a set down to beat world number two Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the Rome Masters.
The Serb won 4-6 6-3 6-3 at the Foro Italico after recovering from a break down in both the second and third sets.
Djokovic needs to retain his title or he will lose his world number three ranking to Britain's Andy Murray.
World number one Rafael Nadal faces Chile's Fernando Gonzalez in Saturday's second semi-final.
Federer and Djokovic pair had met 10 times previously, with Federer holding a 7-3 lead and having won both their matches on clay.
 |
606: DEBATE
|
Djokovic has been in far better form recently, however, reaching the final in Monte Carlo and powering through the field in Rome.
But it was Federer who controlled matters at the outset, earning three break points in the opening three Djokovic service games before finally breaking through in game nine.
The 13-time Grand Slam champion served out the set confidently, broke at the start of the second and missed a break point for a double-break in game three before a rain shower interrupted play.
When play resumed in bright sunshine, Federer earned another break point at 3-1 but let it slip away and then saw a rejuvenated Djokovic reel off five straight games to level.
Federer has struggled in final sets this year but it was Djokovic who faltered first, playing an edgy game to slip a break down at 3-1, before the Serb broke back immediately to love.
A desperately tense set turned in Djokovic's favour at 3-3, with a poor Federer volley and a weak backhand slice leading to the Swiss star's downfall.
The momentum was finally with Djokovic and, in a repeat of the previous set, five straight games sealed it for the champion.
No comments:
Post a Comment