Despite admitting to some regrets after falling in a final-set tie-break to Novak Djokovic in the Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals on Saturday, Roger Federer remained upbeat about his progress, as he looks to end his season on a high at the Nitto ATP Finals in London.

The 37-year-old Swiss, who was aiming to move one win from collecting his 100th tour-level title, was making his first tournament appearance in the French capital since 2015, but eventually fell to his great rival after three hours and two minutes. Federer’s outside chance of finishing 2018 as year-end No. 1 in the ATP Rankings also came to an end.  

“I think the level was good from my side,” said Federer. “Clearly I have some regrets. When you lose a close match like this you always have. Wherever they are in the match.

“But, overall, it was a good tournament. I can look back and think it was definitely worth it to come to Paris. The welcome was great. I played some good tennis, so I can be happy.”

Federer also took the time to praise Djokovic, who has won 22 consecutive matches, ahead of his final meeting against Russian Karen Khachanov on Sunday. Djokovic will be aiming to collect his third successive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy, which would bring the 31-year-old level with Rafael Nadal’s record haul of 33 titles at the level.

“Novak is obviously on a roll. You can feel it,” said Federer. “He protects his serve very well. I think I did the same as well. And at the end it came down to a few things here and there.

“I’m happy with my game. It’s better than last week in Basel. There I won the tournament and here I played in the semis and it needed somebody of Novak’s calibre to beat me. So, that’s all right. I’m looking forward to a rest now and a good preparation for London.”

With added confidence, following on from capturing a record ninth crown at the Swiss Indoors Basel last week, Federer has every reason for positivity as he switches his focus to the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in London from 11-18 November. The six-time champion is chasing his first trophy at the event since 2011 and remains well aware of the challenges the elite eight-man event presents.

“Last week, I obtained the title [in Basel] and it gave me a lot of confidence. I saved a lot of break points. I wasn’t tense. I wasn’t nervous. So I got used to playing matches again,” said Federer. “We’re going to play against the Top 10 from the first [match in London]. It’s not simple. My body is in shape. Mentally I felt tough. So, it’s a good thing as well. And I reached the semi-finals [in Paris]… I can still be satisfied.”

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are battling in the Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals and the stakes are as great as they’ve ever been.They are heading to a decider after Djokovic took the first set 7-6(6) and Federer converted a late break for 7-5 in the second.

The Serbian and the Swiss renew their rivalry for a 47th time, with Djokovic leading the storied FedEx ATP Head2Head by a tally of 24-22. The last time they met, in the Cincinnati final this year, Djokovic streaked to a straight-set victory.

This time, Federer is bidding to exact his revenge and move one step closer to a stunning 100th tour-level title. It has been nearly three years since he last defeated his Serbian rival, with his last triumph coming at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2015. Djokovic, meanwhile, is eyeing a 23rd straight match win this year, which would put him in a fourth consecutive final.

Following their Cincinnati encounter in August, Federer described his returning performance as one of the worst of his career. He claimed just 26 per cent of such points and looked to flip the script as they entered the fast indoor courts of Paris-Bercy on Saturday. But as proceedings got underway, Djokovic’s delivery proved to be untouchable once again. 

And the Serbian was on the prowl with Federer serving at 3-4, forcing the Swiss to retreat to his backhand corner as he stood tall on the baseline. Federer would save four break points in that game, including a moment of magic that put his razor reflexes to the test. A Djokovic forehand clipped the net and spun towards Federer’s head, but the Swiss quickly raised his racquet and struck a sublime drop volley to the delight of the Parisian faithful.

The riveting first set would proceed to a tie-break and Djokovic would seize the initiative, denying a set point and sealing the opener when a Federer backhand slid wide. He fired nine winners in the 71-minute opening set.

Djokovic owns a commanding 17-1 record against Federer when winning the opener, but the Swiss looked to turn the tables in the second. They once again remained on serve throughout the set, but it was Federer who came up clutch in the critical stage. With Djokovic serving to force another tie-break, his Swiss rival pounced, reeling off 9 of 11 points to suddenly snatch a late break and send the encounter to a decider. He launched a forehand winner down the line to seize the set.

Djokovic’s inability to convert on 10 break points shined bright, particularly in the first game of the third set. The second seed had a 15/40 look, but Federer clamped down once again. In faster conditions, the Swiss’ serve is as reliable a weapon as any and it frequently did damage on Saturday.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the following match-up at the Rolex Paris Masters and vote for the players you think will win!
Djokovic vs Federer | Thiem vs Khachanov

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Since the start of the 2011 season in which he rose to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings, Djokovic is 18-9 against Federer, with two wins each at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open. Djokovic also defeated Federer in the 2013 Rolex Paris Masters semi-finals. Regardless of Saturday’s result, the Serbian will return to No. 1 on Monday. If he beats Federer, Djokovic will eliminate the Swiss from contention for World No. 1 in the year-end rankings. Djokovic is two wins shy of tying Rafael Nadal’s record with 33 ATP Masters 1000 titles. Federer is two wins shy of his 100th career title.

“I’m always excited to play against him, particularly because it’s been a long time [since we’ve played] and I feel I can just go out there and see what happens,” Federer said. “I came here to Paris with no expectations and figuring that I’d just play a match or two, thinking I’d probably lose because I was too tired after Basel.

“My priority is London, but now I am so far into the tournament I’ll just give it a go and hope things click for me. I’ll have to play well when it matters most. He’s on an incredible streak again , but I hope I can worry him a little bit tomorrow.”

In the first semi-final of the day, meeting for the first time are World No. 8 Dominic Thiem and No. 18 Karen Khachanov. Thiem joined Djokovic and Federer in the Nitto ATP Finals field when Kei Nishikori lost on Friday. The 25-year-old Austrian is attempting to reach his third ATP Masters 1000 final and capture the biggest title of his career. Khachanov is appearing in his second ATP Masters 1000 semi-final after falling to No. 1 Nadal in Toronto on 11 August. The 22-year-old Russian entered Paris with a 3-16 record against Top 10 opponents. If he defeats Thiem, Khachanov will have earned three Top 10 wins in as many days after beating No. 9 John Isner on Thursday and No. 5 Alexander Zverev on Friday.

– Joshua Rey contributed to this story