Crocked Federer hands Djokovic year-end title by default

LONDON - A mouth-watering finale to the season ended before it even began on Sunday when Roger Federer was forced to pull out through injury prior to his ATP World Tour Final showdown with world nunber one Novak Djokovic.

The 33-year-old Swiss, who spent two hours 48 minutes defeating compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka in a brutal semi-final the previous night, announced his decision on court as the 17,000-seat O2 Arena filled up.

It meant Djokovic became the first man to win the title three years in succession since Ivan Lendl in 1987.

World number two Federer, who was bidding for a seventh title at the year-ender, apologised but told the crowd he was not "match-fit" after developing a back problem.

Looking as stylish as ever as he stood on the blue indoor surface wearing a red and grey cardigan, Federer apologised, saying: "I hope you understand I wanted to come out personally and excuse myself for not playing ... I can't compete without a back at this level."

Despite the huge anti-climax for the crowd, some of whom had forked out thousands of pounds for a courtside ticket, there was no booing, with applause breaking out as seven-times Wimbledon champion Federer spoke.

Explaining how the injury arose, Federer said later: "I was feeling great until yesterday's tiebreaker. I felt all of a sudden the back was feeling funny.

"I tried to have treatment on it, medication, just tried to turn around as quick as possible really, but didn't really feel much of an improvement overnight."

It was only the third time in a career spanning nearly 1,000 matches that Federer has withdrawn because of injury.

Djokovic was not really in the mood for celebrating when he collected the trophy and a $1.92 million cheque.

"Obviously not the way I'd like to win this," said the 27-year-old, who clinched the year-end world number one ranking for the third time in four years this week.

"I feel sorry for Roger. I've been in tennis 10 years and I know Roger and Rafa (Nadal) have been the biggest competitors and always give their 100 percent. If Roger could have come out and played he would have played.

"I'm not the kind of player to celebrate these wins, but I have to celebrate the whole season and this trophy is the crown on the season," he added.

To appease disappointed fans, home favourite Andy Murray, thrashed by Federer in the week, agreed to play Djokovic in a one-set exhibition match, before partnering John McEnroe in a doubles game against Tim Henman and Pat Cash.

Federer now faces an anxious week as he tries to recover for the Davis Cup final against France in Lille next weekend.

Along with the Olympic singles title, the Davis Cup is the major honour which still eludes the 17-times grand slam champion, with Switzerland's hopes resting on the shoulders of him and Wawrinka.

"The way I feel right now there's no way I can compete at any level really," Federer said. "Probably in a few days it's going to be better."

(Editing by Mark Meadows and Ian Chadband)

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Federer hangs tough to set up Djokovic showdown

LONDON - Six-times champion Roger Federer survived a late-night Swiss semi-final thriller against Stanislas Wawrinka on Saturday to set up an ATP World Tour Finals showdown against Novak Djokovic.

After a week of one-sided group stage action at London's O2 Arena, the season-ender burst to life with world number one Djokovic battling past Japan's Kei Nishikori after a mid-match meltdown before Federer saved four match points in a near three-hour duel with compatriot Wawrinka.

Federer eventually prevailed 4-6 7-5 7-6(6) against the man he will join forces with when Switzerland take on France in next week's Davis Cup final.

Djokovic, bidding for a third consecutive season-ending title having already secured the number one ranking, beat Asian trailblazer Nishikori 6-1 3-6 6-0 after losing his cool with another capacity crowd at the O2 Arena.

The real drama was saved to last, however.

Federer, sublime in a 6-0 6-1 thrashing of home favourite Andy Murray in his final group match on Thursday, was the big favourite to claim a 15th victory in 17 career clashes with Wawrinka, but he was in for a rollercoaster ride.

Australian Open champ Wawrinka seemed determined to tear up the script, which had Federer and Djokovic lined up to contest the final match of the ATP season on Sunday.

He outplayed 17-times grand slam champion Federer in the opening set and went toe-to-toe in the second before cracking in the 12th game when a missed smash gave Federer three set points.

One was enough.

Federer was riled by a line call when he dropped serve in the first game of the decider and the 33-year-old's mood darkened further when, serving at 4-3, Wawrinka saved one of two break points with a fluky volley off the frame.

But Wawrinka will have nightmares about 10th game.

Match point arrived but he watched a Federer forehand whistle past him. Another came, and this time Wawrinka netted a feeble volley. Wawrinka's nerve failed him again on a third match point when he could only spoon a volley, which Federer fizzed back past him before going on to win the game.

A tiebreak was needed to settle it and Wawrinka eeked out another match point, but this time his service return went long.

With the 17,500 fans, many in Swiss red and wearing Federer masks, making a deafening din, Federer had the coolest head in the cavernous arena, taking the next two points, and the match, with sumptuous drop volleys.

"I think I got lucky tonight. Stan played better from the baseline and that usually does the job on this court," a relieved Federer said. "But I kept fighting. It's tough but I'm thrilled to be in another final in London."

'OVER THE LINE'

He will now do battle with Djokovic for a 37th time, though he has precious little recovery time.

That said, Djokovic was complaining of "mental exhaustion" after ending Nishikori's impressive debut at the Tour Finals.

The Serb was rattled by a mid-match onslaught from the Japanese, who came back from a poor start to dominate the second set, only for his challenge to fizzle out in the decider.

After dropping only nine games in group stage wins against Marin Cilic, Wawrinka and Tomas Berdych, it looked like plain sailing again for the Serb but a double-fault, loudly cheered by the crowd who wanted a Nishikori fightback, threw Djokovic off track early in the second set.

He gestured sarcastically to the fans and admitted his tetchy loss of focus could have cost him dear.

"I mean, look, at the end of the day I cannot blame the crowd," Djokovic told reporters.

"The crowd has a right to do what they want, to cheer for whoever they want. Some individuals were going over the line but I lost concentration.

"I lost the break because of that. I allowed myself to be in the situation to lose the set, maybe even lose the match."

(Editing by Ed Osmond/Peter Rutherford)

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Unstoppable Djokovic eyeing golden finale

LONDON - For 15 minutes Novak Djokovic appeared to have a fight on his hands at the ATP World Tour Finals on Wednesday, then the Serb dialed up his A game and tore Stanislas Wawrinka to pieces.

Such was the perfection of his tennis for most of a 6-3 6-0 thrashing it is hard to argue against him crowning his year as world number one and with a hat-trick of titles at the ATP's year-ending showpiece.

The 27-year-old has conceded only five games so far at the cavernous O2 Arena yet the arithmetic of round-robin tennis means the seven-times grand slam champion is still not definitely assured of a semi-final spot.

Even more bizarrely, U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, crushed 6-3 6-1 by Czech Tomas Berdych in the day's earlier Group A match could conceivably scrape through despite two heavy losses.

Just like his tennis Djokovic, who faces Berdych on Friday, cut straight through a question about whether or not he gets bogged down with the various scenarios.

"Nobody needs to tell me I need to win," he said. "That's what I try to do. That's why I'm here. I try to win every match I play on. That's the kind of approach I will have on Friday."

In actual fact Djokovic would go through to the semi-finals with a three-set defeat against Berdych who at least gave himself some hope by trouncing Cilic.

"I'm going to try to maybe win three, four games. That would be better than the last time," a smiling Berdych, beaten 6-2 6-0 by Djokovic in the recent Beijing final, told reporters.

Djokovic has played some epic matches against Swiss Wawrinka, most notably at the previous two Australian Opens, beating him in five in 2013 and then losing a fifth-set decider 9-7 this year in the quarter-finals.

World number four Wawrinka has been up and down since winning his first grand slam title in Melbourne, but he was flying at the start on Wednesday.

Striking the ball with ferocious power he broke Djokovic's opening service game and then held for a 2-0 lead.

The backlash was lethal, however.

Djokovic began exploring the corners with his surgical groundstrokes and Wawrinka was overwhelmed as he lost 20 out of 23 points in a five-game swing that snatched the match away.

Wawrinka held serve at 2-5 but Djokovic took the opening set in the next game and romped through the second set in 24 minutes, ending it when he drove a forehand down the line.

"I thought he played very well the first two games. But I wasn't frustrated. I kept my calm. After that, it was a really amazing performance," Djokovic said of his 29th consecutive indoor win that leaves him one victory away from sealing the year-end world number one ranking.

With eight matches down and seven remaining, the sell-out O2 crowds are yet to see a singles match go the distance.

"It's the tournament of the best eight players in the world, people, fans, the crowd expect to see a little bit more excitement and longer matches," Djokovic said.

"I think that's going to change as the tournament progresses."

Berdych's defeat of Cilic was equally emphatic, although the Croatian debutant looks spent, having managed six games so far.

Cilic never looked comfortable from the moment he dropped serve in the first game and although he did have two break points to get back to 4-4 in the first set, Berdych held firm and went on to dominate the rest of the match.

It was quite a rebound for Berdych who had said he faced "mission impossible" after an opening 6-1 6-1 loss to Wawrinka.

"I think that's the beauty of this event," he said. "One day you can be swept from the court like I was and in two days' time you can come up play different tennis."

American world number one doubles duo Mike and Bob Bryan also got back to winning ways as they came from a set down to beat Jean-Julien Roger and Horia Tecau.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Stephen Wood and Toby Davis)

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Wawrinka spearheads Swiss, Czechs seek third title

PARIS - Stanislas Wawrinka, hotfoot from his Australian Open triumph, turns his mind to affairs of national importance this weekend as he leads Switzerland into battle against last season's beaten finalists Serbia in the Davis Cup World Group first round.

In last Sunday's final in Melbourne, the new world number three captured his first Grand Slam title with a four-set upset of Rafael Nadal.

Wawrinka told the Melbourne crowd he was looking forward to the tie against the weakened Serbs - as long as he survived his victory party.

"Davis Cup, it's really important for me. I'm really proud. It's a big honour to play for my country....

"I don't know how I'm going to get there exactly, if I'm still going to be alive after tonight, but I'm going to go there... There's a big chance I get drunk tonight...."

Nadal, the world number one, is one of a clutch of stars missing from this weekend's opening salvoes of the venerable 114-year-old competition.

While Nadal and world number five David Ferrer skip Spain's tie with Germany in Frankfurt, Serbia must face Wawrinka's Switzerland without Novak Djokovic.

The Swiss in contrast are looking strong as along with the in-form Wawrinka they boast Roger Federer, who confirmed his presence on Wednesday.

Argentina meanwhile face Italy without their top player, Juan Martin Del Potro, knocked out in the second round at Melbourne.

Djokovic had already signalled his intention not to play at Novi Sad before his quarter-final loss to Wawrinka last week.

With Janko Tipsarevic (injured) and Viktor Troicki (suspended) also out Serb captain Bogdan Obradovic is fielding untested youngsters Dusan Lajovic, Filip Krajinovic and Ilija Bozoljac with veteran Nenad Zimonjic set to play in the doubles.

In Ostrava, world number seven Tomas Berdych, a semi-final victim of Wawrinka's last week, leads the Czechs into battle against the Dutch, returning to the Davis Cup fast lane for the first time since 2009.

Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil is upbeat over his team's prospects.

"We hope to continue our recent run of results," said Navratil, whose team beat Spain in the 2012 final and then defeated Serbia to retain their crown in Belgrade late last year.

"Berdych is in great form. He is serving brilliantly and is very strong from the baseline."

Australia make their return to the World Group after a seven-year absence, against France on the indoor clay courts of La Roche sur Yon.

The Aussies last won the title in 2003 - in 2001 they fell at the final hurdle to France in Nice.

Veteran Lleyton Hewitt is thrilled Pat Rafter's team, winners of the trophy 28 times, are back in the Davis Cup mix.

"It's fantastic," said the 32-year-old who made his competition debut in 1999, just three years after teammate Thanasi Kokkinakis was born.

"For me it's about leading by example on court more than anything, using my experience I've been able to have playing so many years and so many big ties for Australia."

France will start favourites with two of their team top 10 players in Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

On the red outdoor clay at San Diego's Petco Park, Great Britain's world number six Andy Murray leads his team into battle against the United States in a rerun of the first ever Davis Cup tie at Boston's Longwood Cricket club in 1900.

Great Britain captain Leon Smith said last week: "We're relishing the opportunity to compete in the world group once again, and I'm delighted that Andy is able to play in the tie."

American number two Sam Querrey is taking heart from his victory over Murray at the ATP final in Los Angeles in 2010.

"At least I've beaten him one time, so that gives me a little belief that I can do it again," he commented.

In other ties, Belgium face Kazakhstan in Astana, and Canada take on Japan - seeking a first ever World Group win - in Tokyo, with Kei Nishikori forecasting "a tough match even if we play at home".

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nadal bids to tie Sampras, Swiss Stan in the way

MELBOURNE - Rafael Nadal will look to give Stanislas Wawrinka a rough welcome to his first Grand Slam final as he bids to tie Pete Sampras with 14 major titles at the Australian Open on Sunday.

American great Sampras will present the winner's trophy, with the Spanish marvel an overwhelming favourite to vanquish the popular and constantly improving Swiss for the year's opening Slam title.

World number one Nadal has yet to drop a set in 12 encounters with Wawrinka, who knocked over three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and world number seven Tomas Berdych to reach the final.

Nadal again mastered his long-time rival Roger Federer in the semi-finals -- a result which installed Wawrinka as Swiss number one -- to reach his third Australian final as he seeks to add his 2009 triumph.

Victory would also make Nadal only the third man, after Australians Roy Emerson and Rod Laver, to have won each of the four Grand Slam titles twice.

It is hard to see past Nadal winning, even though Wawrinka is playing the best tennis of his life, good enough to take him past close friend Federer in the new world rankings out next week.

Nadal, at 27 years, would become the youngest man in history to win 14 Grand Slams, eclipsing Federer's corresponding feat at Roland Garros in 2009 by 66 days.

Sampras, who was 31 when he reached his 14 Slams, admires Nadal's extraordinary athleticism and strength to stand out in an era dominated by the 'Big Four' -- Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Andy Murray.

"He's a great athlete. Rafa's game is not suited to grass, but he's done well there. He's an incredible mover. He's a great player," Sampras said in Melbourne this week.

Nadal won't sell Wawrinka short in Sunday's final, saying that past matches mean little in the context of a high-pressure major final.

"For me, if you play in a Grand Slam final that's a different kind of match than I played against him in the past," he said.

"He's playing better than ever. He's a player that is ready to win against everybody. If I don't play my best tennis, I am sure that he will win three sets against me."

But Nadal added ominously: "I am moving quick. I am able to come back from difficult situations with great shots and am able to keep producing power on the shot from very difficult positions."

While Wawrinka faces a tough task to grab his first ever win over Nadal in a Grand Slam final, the Swiss is confident of his ability under Swedish coach Magnus Norman.

Also in Wawrinka's favour is that Norman was the coach of Robin Soderling when the Swede upset Nadal at the 2009 French Open, the eight-time winner's last defeat at his favourite Grand Slam.

"The record is not what I'm looking at. That's what it is against Rafa. I don't care about having lost 14 times," he said.

"But it's more about playing Rafa. He's the number one, the best player. His game is quite tough for me, especially with the one-hand backhand. But I had some good matches against him last year, close ones. I will have a few things that I will try tomorrow.

"I'm playing my best tennis here, I'm physically ready. I'm going to try everything. Before I beat Djokovic it was the same. I had lost 14 times to him before that.

"I'm always trying and I always think that I can change all the statistics, that's a positive."

It's been a long time coming for Wawrinka to play in his first major final in his 36th Grand Slam. For Nadal, it will be his 19th Slam final, with a win-loss record of 13-5.

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Modest Wawrinka plays down title chances

MELBOURNE - Stanislas Wawrinka modestly played down his chances of winning the Australian Open on Tuesday despite stunning defending champion Novak Djokovic to reach his second consecutive Grand Slam semi-final.

The Swiss eighth seed, with an ode to persistence by Irish poet Samuel Beckett tattooed on his forearm, has endured a long, hard struggle before finally dethroning the three-time defending champion.

But he refused to get ahead of himself despite causing the greatest upset of a tournament which has also seen shocks to women's top seed Serena Williams and world number three Maria Sharapova.

Wawrinka, who will face Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals on Thursday, said: "I'm still far from winning the tournament. Two matches, the most difficult matches.

"But I'm not thinking at all about that, to be honest. I'm thinking match by match. Tonight I'm going to enjoy the victory of today because I think it's important.

"That's why I've played well over the last year, because I'm enjoying my life, I'm enjoying the tennis.

"When I win, it's important to be just happy, because I know it's not going to be every Grand Slam that I'm going to be in the semifinals."

Wawrinka's tattoo reads: "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better", and he has stayed true to those words during his difficult rise through the ranks.

Tuesday's win was his first in 14 attempts against Djokovic, including five-setters at last year's Australian Open and the US Open where he pushed the Serb to the limit but fell just short.

After 12 meetings, he is yet to beat world number one Rafael Nadal, and he has just one win in 13 matches against fellow Swiss Roger Federer, whose great feats have usually kept him in the shade.

However, he has kept improving and under coach Magnus Norman, he reached last year's US Open semi-finals -- where he was stopped by Djokovic -- and is now in the last four in Melbourne.

"Well, I think for sure it's a really, really strong generation. The top four guys, Roger, Novak, Rafa, Andy. They have been winning every Grand Slam for many, many years," Wawrinka said.

"They are just better players than us, than all the rest. They are just amazing fighters, amazing players. That's why they always win everything.

"You have to deal with that. You have to fight. I know that the only thing I can control is what I'm doing off the court: my practice, how I do my schedule. I always try to improve."

He added that Tuesday's victory had its roots in his failures against Djokovic, when he realised he had the tools to go the distance with the six-time major champion.

"I think last year I took a lot of confidence with those (matches) with Novak. It was really close. I was playing good. We always have great battles," he said.

"I came on the court tonight with a lot of confidence on myself, knowing that if I play my best game, I always have a chance against him."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com