Emirates ATP Rankings Update 1 September ( video)
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On one side of the net: Murray, the World no. 3, who has played some of the best tennis of his career throughout a stunningly consistent season but has failed to win a Grand Slam, facing either his last chance of the season at the US Open or the dreary chance of his earliest exit at a Slam since losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first round of the Australian Open back in 2008.
On the other: Kyrgios, unseeded, desperate to get the focus back on his tennis after an on-court taunt aimed at Stan Wawrinka in Montreal went viral and left his behavior under a microscope from the media and the sport’s governing bodies, with a one-month suspension hanging over his head if he fails to clean up his act at ATP World Tour-sanctioned events (i.e. not Grand Slams).
Murray has won every match he has played against Kyrgios in straight sets (only 2 sets have been 6-4 or better) including victories on hard courts at last year’s Canada Masters and the Australian Open back in January. But Murray knows that, like the Tsonga he lost to in 2008, Kyrgios has the raw power and touch to blow away any opponent if he gets hot and, having played the Australian twice in Grand Slams (most recently in the third round of the French Open, he knows that Kyrgios relishes the big stage.
It would definitely be a mistake to underestimate Kyrgios, or to expect him to retreat into his shell after what happened in Montreal: The 20-year-old, who has wins over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on his resume already, may say he’s learned his lesson but also says he’s ‘not embarrassed’ by the incident or the fall-out from it. We probably shouldn’t anticipate a chastened, more low-key Kyrgios to take the court on Tuesday. Indeed, he can be expected to relish the big stage and the chance to pull off a win against a top opponent – and perhaps even the opportunity to play the villain for the Arthur Ashe crowds.
In other words, it’s definitely going to be Kyrgios’s tennis, not his behavior, which concerns Murray on Tuesday. Murray’s impeccable defense and variety of the ground have always frustrated Kyrgios into impatient errors in the past, but there’s always a danger that that balance can slide into too much passivity from Murray. The third seed also has to worry about trying to win as quickly as possible in order to conserve energy, crucial with so many miles on his legs at this point of the season and with his tricky draw. It’s impossible to tell what you are going to get from Kyrgios, but on the big stage, against a top opponent, feeling like he has nothing to lose, it’s a perfect scenario for him to swing freely and push Murray harder than he ever has before. Could we be in for a huge shock on just the second day of the US Open?
Έπειτα από μιά εξαιρετική πορεία στα προκριματικά και ένα πολύ δυνατό πρώτο σετ η Μαρία Σάκκαρη έχασε στον πρώτο γύρο του κυρίως ταμπλώ του US OPEN από την Κινέζα Qiang Wang.
Στο πρώτο σετ η Σάκκαρη βρέθηκε μπροστά στο σκορ με 4-2 αλλά δεν κατάφερε να κρατήσει τη διαφορά καθώς η πιο έμπειρη αντίπαλος της, γύρισε τον αγώνα και πήρε το σετ με 7-5. Στο δεύτερο σετ η 23χρονη Qiang Wang πήρε από την αρχή μεγάλη διαφορά και κέρδισε και το δεύτερο σετ με σκορ 6-2.
Καμία ήττα δεν είναι γλυκιά, αλλά σε ένα τέτοιο επίπεδο αγώνων και μετά από τέτοια πορεία η 20χρονη αθλήτρια μας φεύγει απο τη Νέα Υόρκη γεμάτη εμπειρίες, έχοντας κερδίσει τις εντυπώσεις και την εκτίμηση όλων μας.
Roger Federer’s road to No.18 has just begun!!
With an uprising buzz around his prospects to ensure an 18th Grand Slam, Roger Federer unfolds his account at the 2015 US Open against Leonardo Mayer – a player who had five match points on Federer last time they played. Check out the Federer vs Mayer Head to Head matches. After a self-confidence & morale boosting Cincinnati Masters title behind him, the 5-time US Open champion kick starts his 2015 crusade in New York on Tuesday against the Argentine World No.34.
Watch the match Live: Federer vs Mayer Live Stream
While it may not quite liken to Andy Murray’s brutal first-round draw of Nick Kyrgios, Federer surely could have drawn a more comfortable opponent to face in his opening match at the US Open as he tries to return to the final for the first time since 2009. Mayer, who absolutely reveres Federer, is currently ranked world no. 34 and narrowly missed being seeded for the US Open. He also held five match points on Federer in their one and only career meeting thus far (Shanghai Masters 2014), a match which Federer described himself as ‘crazy lucky’ to pull through at the time.
Mayer reached a career high of world no. 21 earlier this season, largely due to a very impressive 2014 which saw him finish runner-up in Vina del Mar, reach the third or fourth rounds at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open and win the 500-level Hamburg event on clay in the summer, defeating David Ferrer in the final. 2015 hasn’t been quite so stunning for Mayer, with highlights including finishing runner-up in Nice to Dominic Thiem in May, reaching the Sydney semifinals and winning the longest Davis Cup singles match in history back in March (on March 8, 2015, he played in the longest singles match in Davis Cup history, beating João Souza in 6 hours and 42 minutes, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7–5), 5–7, 5–7, 15–13), and his failure to defend his Hamburg title has seen him slide out of the top 32 and find himself unseeded at a Grand Slam once again.
Mayer hasn’t won back-to-back matches since reaching the third round of Wimbledon (he lost to Kevin Anderson, who also beat him in the first round of Cincinnati) so he doesn’t come into this match with any peculiar form. The same cannot be said for Federer, who claimed his first Masters title of the season – and first win over Novak Djokovic since February – in Cincinnati with a series of sterling serving performances.
Federer’s seventh Cincinnati title was earned by well-executed aggressive play, with his newly acquired habit of half-volleying second-serve returns from so far inside the baseline he’s practically inside the service box particularly remarkable. It will be a very efficacious tactic against Mayer, whose serve is not the most substantial facet of his game, but what will probably be Mayer’s biggest trouble is the traumatic after-effects of those five match points in Shanghai – one of which he squandered by one of the worst missed volleys imaginable. For Federer, the big query is whether the same aggressive approach that served him so well in Cincinnati can see him through the early rounds in energy-conserving style.
Roger went onto win the 2014 Shanghai Masters (defeated Novak in the SF) after saving match points against Mayer in his opening round match. Could this year’s US Open be a repeat!!
Check out more tennis tips here
Στο τελευταίο Grand Slam της χρονιάς μπορεί κανείς να εστιάσει στα μεγάλα όνοματα του US OPEN που αγωνίζονται στα μεγάλα στάδια του USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
(Arthur Ashe : 23,771 θέσεις, Louis Armstrong Stadium : 10,103 θέσεις, Grandstand : 6,106 θέσεις)
Παράλληλα όμως μπορεί να παρακολουθήσει τους αγώνες στα μικρότερα γήπεδα της διοργάνωσης εκεί που η συγκίνηση αγγίζει το μέγιστο, εκεί που το ταλέντο αγγίζει το όνειρο.
Ένας τέτοιος αγώνας παίζεται σε λίγες ώρες στο γήπεδο Νο 6, διπλα στο Arthur Ashe.
Η Μαρία Σάκκαρη θα παίξει για πρώτη φορά σε κυρίως ταμπλώ Grand Slam και αντίπαλος της θα είναι η Kινέζα Qiang Wang No 112 στον κόσμο.
Εμείς θα είμαστε εκεί για να μοιραστούμε το όνειρο μαζί της.
The Men’s US Open draw is out! After days of speculation, the tennis world can finally see what potential roads the top seeds have to the final, and which underdogs have the opportunity to pull off an upset.
At first glance, the 2015 U.S. Open men’s tournament would seem to be a two-man event. After this season, and this summer, it’s hard to realistically imagine anyone other than world No. 1 Novak Djokovic or world No. 2 Roger Federer holding up the winner’s trophy two weeks from now. But then, we might have thought something similar last year, and the two men who played for the title ended up being Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori (who beat Federer and Djokovic in the semifinals, respectively).
Thus the preludes leading to the final slam of this year had a lot to offer, which in turn raised the bar for the actual action at the US Open. Aided by the shuffling of the rankings which have been occurring throughout the course of the year, the men’s draw in Flushing Meadows has some blockbuster matches in the pipeline, starting right from the first round.
TOP HALF
1st Quarter – (1) Novak Djokovic & (8) Rafael Nadal
On the one hand, Djokovic, despite making the semifinals or better at the last 8 US Opens, has won the title just once. While he has always loved the buzz inside Ashe Stadium, he hasn’t always loved the wind that swirls there. In each of the last three years, he has been caught and passed by a hot opponent—Andy Murray in 2012, Rafael Nadal in 2013, Nishikori in 2014—on the final weekend. On the other hand, Djokovic’s lone title came in 2011, a brilliant season much like the one he’s having this year. And that infamous wind in Ashe may not swirl the same way now that there’s a roof on top of the stadium. Whatever the conditions, these days it’s pretty much a given that Djokovic is going to be in the mix at the end of any tournament he enters.
As has become something of a tradition, ailing Rafa Nadal sees his probable draw the stiffest of any top player. And that’s before he reaches Djokovic. Of all the possible openers, he’s landed confident 18-year-old Borna Coric – who beat the Spaniard in straight sets late last year (Basel), while Nadal struggled with appendicitis. However, Rafa lived up to the task and eliminated Borna in four sets to set up a meeting against Diego Schwartzman in round two. He could then face his nemesis Fabio Fognini in the third round, and 10th seed Milos Raonic in the round of 16. Mardy Fish, contesting his final US Open, is also present here and got through to the second round after overcoming Marco Cecchinato of Italy.
World No.1 Novak Djokovic kicked off in style against Joao Souza, and will face Andreas Haider-Maurer next, who defeated Wimbledon quarterfinalist Vasek Pospisil in five sets. Notable names in Andreas Seppi and David Goffin also lurk further down the line (Janowicz and Andujar lost their first round matches yesterday).
Possible Dark-Horse: 18th seed Feliciano Lopez. On a run of good form, he starts against a qualifier and could beat either of Verdasco or Raonic in round three. As a bonus, he’s already taken down potential fourth round opponent Rafa this month.
Expected QF: (1) Novak Djokovic d. (8) Rafael Nadal – Although Rafa’s had the better of Novak in New York (2-1; 3 finals – 2010, 2011 2013), Novak’s won the last 6 of the 7 they have played since the 2013 US Open final. Expect Rafa to put up a valiant fight (Rafa is 20-1 in NY since 2010) but Novak’s in a different league at the moment.
2nd Quarter – (4) Kei Nishikori (already out – lost to Benoit Paire), (7) David Ferrer & (9) Marin Cilic (Defending Champion)
This is the quarter of the walking wounded, and of opportunity to pounce on. Don’t be fooled by Ferrer sandwiching this quarter. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, With Gael Monfils having retired from the match against Illya Marchenko, Grigor Dimitrov and defending champion Marin Cilic are also still the mix here – and that’s just to name a few! Benoit Paire’s win over Nishikori was the biggest shocker of the tournament so far and it was a pity that Alexandr Dolgopolov, who has been playing some excellent tennis in recent weeks had to retire from his encounter against Sam Groth. Jo-Willy Tsonga is looking real good this time around, having beaten Jarkko Nieminen in straights.
David Ferrer, on the other hand, should have a breezy opening couple of rounds… before the culture shock of Jeremy Chardy or Martin Klizan, followed by Grigor Dimitrov or defending champion Marin Cilic (another 3R cracker). Cilic defeated Guido Pella of Argentina and will be next up against Evgeny Donskoy who ousted Lucas Pouille.
Grand Slams were never meant to be easy!
Possible Dark-Horse: 19th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Finally attaining a Big 4-less quarter, Jo must seize the opportunity to resurrect his top 5 game and reintroduce himself as a big-hitting, consistent threat.
Expected QF: (19) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga d. (9) Marin Cilic – Tsonga has been struggling for the last few months but he seems to be getting stronger day by day. After allowing Nieminen only a handful of games in his first round match, he showed that he is to be taken seriously here.
BOTTOM HALF
3rd Quarter – (3) Andy Murray & (5) Stan Wawrinka
Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka are the top two seeds here. If Murray is going to get back to the semis again, he may have to hope that someone else knocks Stan off. The last time they played, in the quarters at the Open in 2013, Wawrinka won 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
Yet again, the draw delights to throw up some drama. If Wawrinka wins his opener against Alberto Ramos-Vinolas, he faces the prospect of fast-rising South Korean Hyeon Chung in round two – the Futures dominator with the unique groundstrokes. Big-hitting Gilles Muller or home hope Jack Sock are potentials for the ensuing clash, while Viktor Troicki or Gilles Simon could await in round four. That is, if the inconsistent Swiss survives until then.
Down at the bottom end, seasoned Frenchman Adrian Mannarino is a potential second round encounter for Murray – should the Scot emerge unscathed from his firework first round showdown with Nick Kyrgios. If the draw gods wanted to send naughty Nick home early, they picked the right man for the job. Murray has won all eight sets they’ve played.
Countryman James Ward – who would have to go through just Thomas Belucci and a qualifier – would make entertaining third round opposition for the Brit, and either rising Austrian Dominic Thiem or massive-serving Kevin Anderson could push the World No.3 in the penultimate clash of the quarter.
Best 1R clashes: Andy Murray versus Nick Kyrgios; Gilles Simon versus Donald Young; Viktor Troicki versus Francis Tiafoe.
Possible Dark-Horse: 29th seed Dominic Thiem. The 22-year-old has been triumphant at 3 ATP events this year, and has the all-round game to inflict serious damage. He should win every match up to Murray, whom he could scare at the very least.
Expected QF: (3) Andy Murray d. (5) Stan Wawrinka – A contrast of styles brings us to the intriguing conclusion that this match could very well go the distance (Stan’s made the QF of the last 5 slams he’s played & Andy’s last QF miss was 2010 US Open). Although, Stan leads Andy 2-1 at Flushing Meadows, an in-form Andy should get this one (could be their 1st meeting since the 2013 US Open QF). Revenge on the cards!!
4th Quarter – (2) Roger Federer & (6) Tomas Berdych
“I haven’t made the final since 2009, actually,” Federer said last week while talking about his Open chances. He sounded a little surprised himself. As well as he has played overall in recent years, it hasn’t translated to Grand Slam success; he’s won just one major since the 2010 Australian Open.
But after beating Djokovic in Cincinnati, it’s obvious that Federer is playing well again, so well that some have deemed him the favorite at the Open. As Federer pointed out, though, New York isn’t Cincy: The balls are slower, the courts are grittier, and the matches are three-out-of-five sets—none of which works to the 34-year-old’s advantage.
Roger Federer is not expected to fall early. However, there is plenty of stiff competition in his section of the draw. Leonardo Mayer – who had 5 match points against him last year – is his first round opponent, and Marcos Baghdatis – the experienced pro who has previously caused him some issues – could await in round two. German danger Philipp Kohlschreiber is a threat to follow after, with big-servers John Isner and Ivo Karlovic each in line for the round of 16 (the serving power-houses’ match; we do have a 5th set TB in NY).
Tomas Berdych opens against a wildcard and should then face Denis Kudla, before things step up a notch against any of Sam Querrey, Nicolas Mahut, Janko Tipsarevic or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. His fourth round is quite unpredictable. Of the contenders, Aussies Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic could face off in round two, and Dustin Brown potentially awaits the winner of Thanasi Kokkinakis versus Richard Gasquet.
Best 1R clashes: Thanasi Kokkinakis versus Richard Gasquet; Sam Querrey versus Nicolas Mahut; Roger Federer versus Leonardo Mayer.
Possible Dark-Horse: 21st seed Ivo Karlovic. He made the fourth round of Wimbledon, and – should John Isner permit – has the draw to accomplish a second straight major round of 16.
Expected QF: (2) Roger Federer d. (12) Richard Gasquet – The resurgent Frenchman should be a good test for the 5-time champion. But Roger’s recent ominous form suggests that he will conquer Gasquet in a hurry (Roger leads 14-2 overall; won the last 6 including 12 sets in a row).
Expected SF
(1) Djokovic d. (4) Nishikori – Expect the Japanese star to put up a courageous fight against the modern-day legend (a repeat of the 2014 US Open SF which Kei won in 4 sets). Novak should complete the retribution without much trouble this time around.
(2) Federer d. (3) Murray) – Roger is perhaps in Murray’s mind and his only “Achilles heel” at the moment. Federer’s won the last five against Andy including the last 10 sets against the Scot. The battle for the “World No.2 ranking” should be a good one. This is a tough match to predict but Roger should pip Andy again (Andy will definitely win a set or two).
Finals
(2) Federer d. (1) Djokovic – The Swiss got the better of his nemesis at the Cincy final and with confidence and portentous form which he has shown, he should get this one from Serb. Novak’s US Open final record is appalling (1-4) and that could definitely play a big part in this match. Going into this match Roger’s the underdog and the “GOAT” should be able to exorcise the demons of the 2014 & 2015 Wimbledon Finals. We could have the best US Open final since 2009 (Del Potro d. Federer). Expect Roger to turn 18 this summer!!
Familiar faces sit atop the men’s and women’s favorites at the 2015 US Open from New York, NY. Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are ranked above their respective peers for good reason this year. Their results have been nothing short of superb and it’s become quite clear that they’re both prolonging the primes of their careers.
Online sportsbook TopBet has released their odds on the 2015 US Open, and Novak Djokovic (EVEN) is slated to walk away with the trophy for the men, while Serena (-150) looks to be a sure bet on the women’s side.
THE JOKER
At the age of 28, Novak has accomplished a sensational amount. He’s won 9 majors (5 – Australian Open, 3 – Wimbledon, 1 – US Open) and will now compete for his second US Open title at Flushing Meadows. Aside from his past career totals, 2015 has also been very kind to ‘The Joker’. He beat Andy Murray for his fifth Australian Open title. He finished second to Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka at the French Open and won his third Wimbledon title beating Roger Federer in four sets.
Djokovic also enters the US Open coming off a second place finish against Andy Murray in Montreal, QUE at the Rogers Cup.
THE QUEEN
Though she’s less than a month away from her 34th birthday (September 26th), Serena Williams has showed very few signs of slowing down. While her pace is still as quick as ever, she has displayed a little more caution this year with preventive injury measures. Williams has withdrawn from the Italian Open, Indian Wells and Swedish Open due to soreness in each.
This could be accredited to age, but more likely this accounts to extended preparation for the season’s biggest tournaments. Serena has been fantastic at the majors in 2015. She beat Maria Sharapova in straight sets to take the Australian Open in February. She then took out Lucie Safarova at Roland Garros for her third French Open title. Then this past July, she was too much for Gabrine Muguruza, as she went straight sets for her sixth Wimbledon crown.
THE CONTENDERS
On the men’s side, look out for the well-rested Roger Federer. The 34-year-old has started to show his age a little bit, but he seems to be peaking this season at the opportune time. After his third-round loss at the Australian Open this past winter, he has done nothing but improve finishing as a quarter-finalist at the French Open and finalist at Wimbledon. Federer also recently sat out the Rogers Cup in Montreal, QUE to prepare for Cincinnati (where he played some superb tennis to beat Djokovic and clinch the title) and the US Open.
Andy Murray of course is on everyone’s radar to capture his second US Open title. Murray has not had his most decorated year by any means, but he’s been a two-time semi-finalist at majors this year and a one-time finalist – losing to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne. He does have two tournament wins this summer alone, taking the Queen’s Club Championships in June and Rogers Cup this past month. Also keep in mind that Rogers Cup victory came from defeating number one seed Novak Djokovic.
In women’s singles, Victoria Azarenka has beaten five top ten ranked competitors this season and has pushed Serena to three sets in each of their three meetings this year. The Belarussian’s best major finish came at Wimbledon earlier this summer, when she lost in the quarterfinals to the world number one Williams.
Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova will be another serious contender yet again. Maria lost to Williams at the Australian Open earlier this year, in her lone major finals appearance. Sharapova then lost to Serena again at Wimbledon in the semis, so you know she’ll be anxious and ready in the final major of the 2015 season. Her wins this year came in Brisbane and at the Italian Open in May.
THE SLEEPERS
Keep an eye out for Stan Wawrinka. The silent killer is coming off a victory at the French Open, along with two other tournament victories this season. Wawrinka beat Djokovic at Roland Garros after going through Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Roger Federer. It wasn’t an easy road for the young Swiss, but it’s not the first time he’s had to battle through a gauntlet. At the international BNL d’Italia, he took out Rafael Nadal in straight sets before being ousted by Roger Federer. While in Rotterdam, he had to battle through Milos Raonic and Tomas Berdych to take the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament title.
Wawrinka is used to shocking the world and he could keep that habit alive this September.
Meanwhile on the women’s end, look out for 18-year old Swiss Belinda Bencic. The teenager is entering the US Open after shocking world number one seed Serena Williams, along with fellow top ten seeders Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, ON. Bencic is sitting at +2,500 right now, which could be a steal considering the way she’s been playing as of late.
Now while she’ll likely compete, there is a chance Bencic may not participate in the US Open following a nearly exit from the WTA Western and Southern Open in Cincinatti, OH. If this is the case, Caroline Wozniacki could be the one to watch outside of the major contenders. Wozniacki is a hard court specialist and has beaten five top ten opponents this season. She’s made it to the fourth-round at Wimbledon five times (including this year) and has been in the US Open final twice (including last year).
She lost to Serena in straight sets in 2014 and would love to see the final round again to end the 2015 major season.
It is No.1 vs. No.2 as Serena Williams and Simona Halep will battle it out in the Western & Southern Open final in Cincinnati on Sunday.
Defending champion Serena Williams could become the first player to win the Cincinnati title twice, if she manages to hold off Simona Halep in the final on Sunday. No player since the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2004 has wielded to achieve the feat.
Williams dropped just the single set last year on her way to brushing aside Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-1 in the final. But she noticeably hasn’t been her dominant self throughout the US Open Series this season, punctuated by her shock loss against WTA Rising Star Belinda Bencic in Toronto last week. Poor serving has also landed Williams in trouble in Cincinnati this week, but the World No. 1 has nevertheless managed to reach the final for the third year in a row, having only dropped the single set (in a rematch against Ivanovic in the quarterfinals).
In her semi-final meeting with Elina Svitolina, it was the World No. 20 who came out with all of the impulse and momentum. But the defending champion retrieved her calmness to win the next eleven out of 15 games to secure her place in the final.
But there is still one more vault that Williams needs to overcome: Simona Halep. After a brief slouch in form, which saw her left with no wins at Wimbledon, Halep has rebounded back in recent weeks. She defeated consecutive top 25 opponents Jelena Jankovic, Angelique Kerber, Agnieszka Radwanska and Sara Errani on her way to the Toronto final last week. She retired due to illness in the final against Belinda Bencic, but Halep has sprung back, despite the quick turnaround, to reach her second WTA final in as many weeks.
In doing so, Halep has also managed to recover the No. 2 ranking from Maria Sharapova, which could therefore have major significances for both herself and Sharapova’s US Open campaigns. With the Grand Slam seedings to be announced next week, Halep can effectively avoid a clash with Williams until potentially in the final, while Sharapova is not warranted the same safety. If the former US Open champion is drawn in Williams’ top half of the draw, she could be on track to face her nemesis earlier than preferred. Williams holds the dominant 17-0 winning streak against Sharapova.
Halep defeated Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 5-7, 6-4, Andrea Petkovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 (3), 6-2 and Jelena Jankovic 6-1, 6-2 to reach the final for the first time. But she only ever defeated Williams once (at the WTA Finals in Singapore last year) in six meetings, and it was the World No. 1 who was successful when they met earlier this year in Miami (she did get a walkover from Williams at Indian Wells).
But can Williams be able to turn around her disastrous serving percentage to win her fifth title of the season ahead of the US Open?
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are set to collide for the fifth time this season in the Cincinnati Masters 2015 final on Sunday and the stakes are as high as ever. Novak Djokovic is chasing history, while Roger Federer is more concerned with boosting his chances for the next few weeks, but there is more than enough on the line for both players to make this Cincinnati Masters final a must-watch on Sunday. Check out the Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic Head to Head matches.
Djokovic is bidding to make history at the Western & Southern Open as a victory against Federer would see him become the first man to have won all nine Masters Series events in his career & complete the “Career Golden Masters”.
What is at stake for world no. 1 Novak Djokovic? In terms of this season, Djokovic certainly doesn’t need the Cincinnati Masters title to boost his confidence or give him momentum coming into the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, which begins on Monday 31 August: He’s won almost all of the significant events of the season so far, including Grand Slams at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and Masters Series titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome. But Djokovic could capture a quite incredible record if he betters his four previous runner-up finishes in Cincinnati: A title on Sunday will see him become the first man in history to win all nine Masters Series events over the course of his career. Following so close behind Federer and Rafael Nadal, there are few major records which Djokovic can break, but this would set an absurdly high and historical mark.
Meanwhile, defending champion Federer will be bidding to regain his World No. 2 ranking from Andy Murray (who had ousted Roger from the No.2 spot after his win in Montreal) and effectively secure the No. 2 seeding for the US Open. If he is successful, it would therefore mean he can avoid playing Djokovic until potentially in the Grand Slam final. Securing the No. 2 seeding at the US Open would be a huge boost for Federer, as the 34-year-old is still chasing his elusive 18th major title. Djokovic has ended his Grand Slam run on seven occasions across their career, most recently in the Wimbledon final for the past two years in a row. If Federer won, the title would merely be his seventh at the Cincinnati Masters, where the courts favor attacking tennis and where he has a ridiculously good record (41-8; 6 titles).
Federer has typically been more successful than Djokovic, in fact anyone for that matter, at the Cincinnati Masters in the past. He has won the title a record six times, and he has also reached the quarterfinals or better on a further two occasions. Moreover, Federer has never lost in the Cincinnati final, which gives him a 100 per cent winning rate when it comes down to the final two at the Masters event. On the contrary, Djokovic has never managed to win the Cincinnati title, despite having reached the final on four occasions. Additionally, the World No. 1 has never actually won a set in the final. Two of those losses have come against Federer as well, in 2009: 1-6, 5-7 and again in 2012: 0-6, 6-7 (7).
The head-to-head record is tied at 20-20 between the pair and their meetings on the hard surface are also tied at 1-1 this season. Sunday’s final represents the best opportunity Federer has had to beat Djokovic all season long. Will he take it? With their head-to-head evenly poised, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer face off in the final of the Cincinnati Masters on Sunday. Could fitness concerns for Djokovic see him denied the historic ‘Masters Slam’ by Federer?
Djokovic is not playing at the same level he was at Wimbledon or Indian Wells when he beat Federer in the final, whereas Federer is playing as close to perfect as perhaps possible. And Djokovic has been far from perfect this week. Add to the fact that he had a much longer and more physical semifinal the week after reaching the final in Montreal, Federer has a considerable physical advantage. It will still be close, but most of the advantages are in Federer’s favour. Federer won in Dubai, which is a surface more similar to Cincinnati. He also won Shanghai against Djokovic, which is also a surface closer to Cincinnati’s. Remember that Federer has beaten Djokovic twice in Cincinnati and has never lost more than six games to the Serb on this court. This is a speedy hard courts on which Federer’s game is more effective.
Andy Murray and Roger Federer will confront each other for the 25th time on Saturday in the Semifinals of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. A victory will assure Murray of the 2nd seed at the US Open, while Federer needs to win the tournament to pass the Scot in the ATP Rankings ahead of the last Major of the year. Novak could possibly be waiting in the finals as he attempts to become the 1st man to win the “Career Golden Masters” (win all the 9 Masters events).
Federer leads the head-to-head 13-11 and has won all the last 4 matches against Murray, his last defeat coming at the 2013 Australian Open. In the last 4 matches, Roger has absolutely dominated the Scot dropping just 1 set in the process. This includes the 6-0, 6-1 drubbing at the 2014 World Tour Finals in London (round robin stage). Murray, however, is ahead in the head-to-head on outdoor hard court 8-7 (Federer leads 11-10 on hard including the indoor events). Federer also leads 2-1 in Cincy against the British No.1. Roger is tracking the 7th Final of his career in Cincinnati, where he has already claimed 6 titles, while Andy is in quest for his 3rd, with 2 titles already under his belt. Federer has never lost a SF in Cincy whereas Murray is 2-1 in Cincy SF (the loss was against Roger in 2009).
As Andy Murray eventually ended his two year wait and 8-match losing streak against Novak Djokovic in Montreal on Sunday, the Brit also woke up superseding Roger Federer as the new World No. 2 just a couple of weeks before the start of the US Open. Roger Federer had held a solid hold on the second spot since last October but because of the swap, the all-time Grand Slam champion’s already-tough road to the U.S. Open got even tougher. It may only have a peripheral effect on the year’s final Slam, but could have big ramifications if the draw plays out in a specific way.
The Swiss No.1 had decided to skip the Rogers Cup in Canada last week to see to it that he is in the best potential shape for Flushing Meadows but being overhauled by Murray could have severe entailments on his likely path to the title.
American Legend Pete Sampras believes Federer has a chance of winning the US Open but says if he has to play Murray, Djokovic and Nadal back-to-back it becomes more difficult for him and this could now be the path he has to take after dropping out of the world’s top two. If he had sustained his ranking going into the final major, Federer would have by all odds avoided facing the World No.1 Nole until the final, but now he has a 50% chance of facing Djokovic in the semi-finals depending on which side of the draw the number three seed is placed. This opens up the chance of a rematch of their famous 2010 and 2011 semi-finals on Arthur Ashe Stadium which saw Djokovic save two match-points in consecutive years to beat Federer in five epic sets.
Federer still leads their head-to-head in New York 3-2 but at 34-years of age, it will now undoubtedly be harder for him to back up huge victories against the top players again just two days later. This was the case at Wimbledon, where he played incredibly well to knock out Murray in straight-sets, but despite still playing at a very high standard he was outlasted by the stubborn and undisputed Djokovic in the final.
This is not to suggest it is all doom and gloom for Federer, the implications could be wholly positive as he will certainly be rested and refreshed given the prolonged break following Wimbledon. The attention and expectation are also off the 17-time Grand Slam champion as many saw this year’s final at SW19 as his last realistic shot at title number 18 and with Murray putting a psychological marker down to Djokovic in Montreal, much of the focus heading into the US Open will be of a potential final between the pair. This will perhaps allow Federer to slide under the radar as he goes in search of his sixth title in New York.
Also being ignored as a contender for the title is Rafael Nadal, who is back in the top eight of the world rankings. This is obviously hugely important to the draw at Flushing Meadows as Nadal will not have to worry about a potential fourth round clash with a top eight player if he remains in this position, but it remains to be seen if he can rediscover any kind of form to go deep in New York. There have been occasional glimpses that Nadal is on the right path back to the top with his recent victories in Stuttgart and Hamburg, but the problem for the Spaniard has been when he tries to follow up these wins at ‘lesser’ tournaments with events alongside the world”s best. He was comfortably beaten by Kei Nishikori in Montreal last week as his confidence appears to be missing when he comes up against the sport’s top players. The one major thing to note is Rafa’s always made the final since 2010 (he missed 2012 & 2014 due to injuries).
He might perhaps be able to take solace from his old rival’s season in 2013. Federer himself slipped to number eight in the world and was written off by many after a hugely disappointing season two years ago, before rediscovering his form to challenge Djokovic at the top of the game.
With all this being said, it is sure to be an exciting two weeks at the US Open starting August 31st.
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