Federer braced for another next-gen challenge in 2020

After dominating the tennis world for so long, Roger Federer thinks the sport’s Big Three could face their toughest challenge yet from a new generation in 2020.

Federer’s 2019 season ended with a semifinal loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas on Saturday at the ATP Finals, having seen Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal eliminated in the group stage of the tournament this week.

Tsitsipas, a 21-year-old Greek who is playing at the ATP Finals for the first time, is among a handful of up-and-coming talents looking to finally end the unprecedented era of dominance by that trio. Other youngsters at the season-ending tournament include defending champion Alexander Zverev at 22 and U.S. Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev at 23.

However, it’s not the first time that the 38-year-old Federer has faced talk about a talented crop of youngsters, even though none of them have so far been able to break the Big Three’s iron grip on the sport.

"It’s the same question every year at the end of the year," Federer said about the new generation. "But does it feel like this year might be the best year yet? Possibly. But then I look at the list of who finished World No. 1, who has been World No. 1 all these years, and it’s just crazy that it’s always one of us. But we are not getting any younger. So chances increase not because we are getting worse but because they are getting better."

Nadal clinched his fifth year-end No. 1 title this week, putting him level with both Federer and Djokovic. Since 2004, the only other person to finish the year atop the rankings was Andy Murray in 2016.

In addition, the Big Three have won the last 12 Grand Slam titles between them. And until one of the youngsters ends that streak, any talk of a generation shift is premature.

"Definitely it’s that next step they need," Federer said. "The only issue is that it seems like me, Novak, and Rafa are healthy, healthier than maybe in previous years, as well."

Zverev, for his part, is convinced that the new guard is ready to compete for majors.

"I think next year will bring a new Grand Slam champion. We’ll see who that will be, because I think the young guys are playing incredible tennis," Zverev said after losing to Dominic Thiem in the second semifinal at the O2 Arena. "You know, it can be Daniil, it can be Stefanos, it can be Dominic. I’m in the mix, as well, I hope. We’ll see what next year brings. But I think for the young guys, it’s going to be an exciting year."

The third-ranked Federer ends the year with four ATP titles, but failed to add to his record haul of 20 Grand Slams when he lost an epic Wimbledon final to Djokovic, despite holding two match points in the fifth set.

He also fell short of a record-extending seventh ATP Finals title after converting just one of 12 break points against Tsitsipas, losing 6-3, 6-4.

As long as he stays healthy, though, Federer is confident he’s still good enough to compete for more majors next season.

"I’ve got to keep on playing at the level like I have this year, and then I will create some chances," he said. "Then when the matches come, it’s not maybe as easy as it was maybe 10, 15 years ago where you’re just going to play very good, day in, day out. Opportunities were there today. They were there in other moments as well this season, maybe Indian Wells or Wimbledon or whatever. That can change an entire season around, the confidence around, the flow of things. But I’m happy how I played this season, and I’m extremely excited for next season."

Date: 18 November 2019, Source: AP

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Federer: "I'm extremely excited for next season"

Roger Federer admits to having his chances against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Saturday at the ATP Finals in London. The six-time champion went one for 12 on break points against the Greek in what must have felt like a sequel to their Australian Open quarter-final in January, when the Swiss didn't convert any of his 12 break points. Federer went down 6-3, 6-4 to Tsitsipas.

“No doubt I had my chances,” Federer said. “I had some good spells, but the spells where things were not working well, they were pretty bad. At this level, you just can't have it happen, so that was pretty disappointing today.”

But don't expect the 38-year-old Swiss, who will finish year-end No. 3 in the ATP Rankings, to mull over his semi-final loss for too long.

Federer can feel proud of finishing inside the Top 3 of the year-end ATP Rankings for the 15^th time, his four ATP Tour titles, including his 100^th in Dubai, and his 16^th semi-final at the season finale at The O2.

“I've got to keep on playing at the level like I have this year, and then I will create some chances. I thought I played some consistent, solid tennis. Got to take care of my body, listen to the signs, work well with the team, get the balance right with everything that's happening in my life,” Federer said about his hopes for 2020.

“But I'm happy how I played this season, and I'm extremely excited for next season.”

The Swiss beat Tsitsipas for the Dubai title, won his 28^th ATP Masters 1000 in Miami (d. Isner) and won his 10^th title in both Halle (d. Goffin) and Basel (d. De Minaur), his hometown tournament.

Federer fell short of winning Big Titles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (l. Thiem) and at Wimbledon (l. to Djokovic). He'll look to shore up his performances in those big matches next year during his 23^rd season on Tour.

“When the matches come, it's not maybe as easy as it was maybe 10, 15 years ago, where you're just going to play very good day in, day out. Maybe you need to do extra effort sometimes for that to happen. Maybe that's what it felt like today, just things were complicated. But I've got to maybe do even a better job at figuring these moments out, because the opportunities were there today, for instance. They were there in other moments as well this season, maybe Indian Wells or Wimbledon,” said Federer, who had two match points against Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.

“That can change an entire season around, the confidence around, the flow of things.”

Federer, who is 2-2 against Tsitsipas in their ATP Head to Head series, was complimentary of the 21-year-old.

“I thought that he played really well. He took the ball early. I know he does that. I thought I returned actually pretty good on the first serve. For the most part I wasn't quite getting into the rallies the way I wanted to,” Federer said. “I think I have to credit him for pushing me to not play at the level I was hoping to today.”

About Tsitsipas' one-handed backhand, which the Greek hit effectively down the line, Federer added, “He can loop it and come down on it, and that's why also I believe he's good on faster courts and on slower courts. It's going to be very beneficial for his career. Obviously it's his footwork that's always on the aggressive side. Any short ball will be attacked, and I think he does that very, very well. He's one of the best at that in the game.”

Federer, however, minutes after the loss, was already prepared to move on and think about future opportunities.

“It's the year-end. It's over now, and I can't make it better. I tried everything I could, to be honest. I tried to chip it eventually, tried to stay back and hit some. I tried to come forward. And for the most part I actually tried to play up in the court and tried to play aggressive. But, of course, with his aggression, it's not always easy because he always takes the ball very early himself too,” Federer said.

“I knew he was going to be incredibly athletic. He was just a little bit better today at all those little things.”

Date: 17 November 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer outclasses Djokovic at ATP Finals

Roger Federer played scintillating tennis to defeat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday evening, earning a spot in the semi-finals of the ATP Finals. That victory made the Swiss star the second-placed player in Group Bjorn Borg. On Saturday, the 38-year-old will face the winner of Group Andre Agassi, which will be determined on Friday.

“Great atmosphere, a great opponent here in London at The O2, definitely incredibly special. Just a night I enjoyed from the beginning. I played incredible, and I knew I had to because that’s what Novak does and I was able to produce. So it was definitely magical,” Federer said.

The third-seeded Federer, making his 17^th appearance, reached his 16^th semi-final at the season-ending ATP Finals and ended Djokovic's season, along with his hopes of finishing year-end No. 1 in the ATP Rankings for a record-tying sixth time.

Djokovic needed to win the title to have a chance at knocking Rafael Nadal off the top spot, but now Nadal is guaranteed his fifth year-end No. 1 finish, evening him with Federer, Djokovic and American Jimmy Connors.

Federer barely made a mistake against Djokovic, attacking the Serbian and serving flawlessly. He finished with 23 winners to only five unforced errors.

In the first set, Federer won 87 per cent (20/23) of his service points and made only one unforced error to start their 49^th ATP Head to Head meeting. Djokovic had won their last meeting, saving two match points in the Wimbledon final, but the Serbian threw in a loose service game at 1-1. The World No. 2 donated two double faults to start, and on break point, 0/40, Federer walloped a sitting backhand.

“He was the better player in all aspects and absolutely deserved to win,” Djokovic said. “He served great, moved well, returned my serve very well. He did everything right.

“I have the utmost admiration for him and everything he's doing on the court. What he has achieved over the years and what he's still showing on the court is phenomenal. He's a role model, even for me, and one of the toughest opponents I’ve had in my career. Looking at his career and what he's still doing just inspires you.”

Djokovic, who led their head-to-head series 26-22, responded in the second set, saving two break points in the opening game to rip back momentum. The Serbian then saw his first break chance of the match in the fourth game, but couldn't convert and ran into more trouble on his serve at 2-2.

Djokovic, hearing chants of “Let's go, Roger, let's go!”, fell behind 15/40 and sailed a forehand long to give Federer the second break of the match. The Swiss, who lost the Wimbledon match points on his racquet, broke once more to close it out.

“There was a lot riding on the match. I think I served great, had great anticipation, a clear game plan and it worked to perfection tonight, and hopefully not the last time against Novak,” Federer said. “But even if it didn’t, it was all worth it. It was a great performance tonight from me.”

Federer improved to 53-9 on the season and earned his record-extending 59^th ATP Finals win. The Swiss will now go for a record-extending seventh title this weekend.

“I have been playing very well this season, and I think this victory proves that today,” Federer said.

“I felt from the get-go I had good rhythm off the baseline and on the serve and that I felt like he was living dangerously if he was not going to play great tennis. That was a good feeling to have, but then again, that doesn't mean much because Novak has done an unbelievable job in his career to find ways to either make you play bad or to just be better on you on the day or squeeze another victory out like the way he did at Wimbledon.

“I knew the beginning wasn't key, but I knew it was important. I had a great run on the serve, as well, throughout I think that first set. I was able to keep the pressure going and mix up my game. Because he was playing incredibly aggressive at one point midway through the first set, which surprised me a little bit.

“Things just worked very well for me. Tonight was one of those nights where I was clear in the game plan. I got what I kind of expected, and it was a great feeling at the very end. The reaction showed.”

Date: 15 November 2019, Source: ATP

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Federer beats Berrettini for first win at ATP Finals

Roger Federer got back on track at the ATP Finals, beating Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (2), 6-3 on Tuesday for his first victory of the round-robin stage. Federer lost his opening match to Dominic Thiem on Sunday but the six-time champion looked sharper against Berrettini, never dropping his serve and hitting 24 winners.

Federer has failed to reach the semifinals only once in his previous 16 appearances, in 2008, but have to beat Novak Djokovic in his final group match on Thursday to advance.

“It’s unusual to lose and then come back to play again, but I did it last year, so I have some experience,” Federer joked. “I’m very happy with how I played today. Matteo was always going to be difficult with his big serve. I was pretty clean in my own service games and I think that helped today. I hope I can keep it up and maybe even play a bit better in the next match.”

The 38-year-old Federer improved to 2-0 against Berrettini in their ATP Head to Head, including a straight-sets victory this year at Wimbledon. The Swiss has more match wins (58) and titles (6) than any player in ATP Finals history. Federer is 17-0 lifetime in his second round-robin match at this event.

“There's no reason to be too down after losing the first match. We came here to play three matches and give it all we have. It was the big goal of the season to qualify here, which we did,” Federer said. “I had a day off and there’s plenty of ways to get rid of that loss. Hanging out with my kids will do that for me. I was ready and prepared today. That’s what matters the most right now.”

Federer earned the lone break point of the first set at 6-5, but Berrettini erased it with a forehand winner. The Swiss drew first blood in the tie-break and earned a 2/1 mini-break advantage after Berrettini overcooked a forehand. Federer raced through the final three points of the set to grab the early lead after 42 minutes. The six-time champion is 21-7 in tie-breaks this season.

He continued to ride the momentum and broke the Italian to love in the opening game of the second set. Berrettini had a chance to level the match with Federer serving 4-3, but couldn't convert three break points. A slice forehand from Berrettini found the net in the next game and wrapped up play after 78 minutes.

Date: 13 November 2019, Source: AP and AFP

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Federer faces early ATP Finals exit after Thiem defeat

Roger Federer said he had no more margin for error if he wanted to avoid an early exit at the ATP Finals after losing his opening group match to Dominic Thiem on Sunday.

The 38-year-old Swiss, bidding for his seventh title at the event but his first since 2011, struggled to handle Thiem's aggressive game as he went down 7-5, 7-5.

Only once in 16 previous appearances has Federer failed to survive the group phase, in 2008, and to avoid a repeat he will have to beat Italian Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday and Novak Djokovic on Thursday.

Thiem put constant pressure on Federer and broke at 5-5 in each set to claim his third win over the Swiss this year.

“It's a normal tournament from here on forward. I’m not allowed to lose anymore,” Federer said. “That's how it is every week of the year for the past 20 years, so from that standpoint, there is nothing new.”

The warning signs were there in Federer's opening service game which he dropped and although he hit back impressively he faltered at 5-5 when Thiem hurried him into errors.

Federer had the majority of support in the packed arena but, try as he might, he could not find his A game in the second set as Thiem again dominated the baseline rallies.

Thiem, who has flourished this year since hiring coach Nicolas Massu after a slow start to the season, broke again at 5-5 and although Federer fought hard and had a point to take the set into a tiebreak he was unable to turn things around.

But Federer still finished the night with more winners (24) than unforced errors (22) and only won five fewer points than Thiem (72 to 77). His level on Centre Court required a world-class performance to beat him and he praised the Austrian for delivering it.

“I thought he played well. The start definitely didn't help. That put me on the back foot,” Federer said. “But I recovered well and I thought the match was pretty even for a long period of time. I felt that I had my chances. Didn’t feel like I was outplayed or anything. Just maybe those first-match hiccups, not hitting your spots on the serve when you need to, getting into trouble early in the service games, which maybe doesn't happen later on in the tournament.”

Although Federer’s form dipped at times, the crowd support for him never wavered. The British public has adopted the Swiss as one of their own after the memorable moments he’s provided in London throughout his 21-year ATP Tour career, including two titles at The O2 (2010-2011). Despite the loss to Thiem, he remained optimistic that their energy can help propel him to a seventh title at this event.

“I thought the atmosphere was great. I wish I could have given them a bit more something to celebrate tonight,” Federer said. ”I felt like the fans were waiting and they were ready to go. Maybe getting that break in the second set would have done exactly that, but it's a wonderful event here. I'm happy I’ve played here so many times so I could enjoy the crowds. I'm looking forward to the next two matches.”

Federer will shift his focus to his next match on Tuesday against Matteo Berrettini, who also lost his opening match to Novak Djokovic. He dropped just five games against the Italian in their lone ATP Head to Head meeting this year at Wimbledon, but said that anyone who qualifies for the season-ending championships can’t be underestimated.

“With his serve, with what he can do, obviously any opponent is dangerous here,” Federer said. “I've got to recover. I've got to make sure I play better than today and hopefully I can win that match.”

Date: 11 November 2019, Source: Reuters and ATP

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Federer pursuing his 7th title at ATP Finals

Roger Federer has won more ATP Finals than anyone in the tournament’s history, with six. And as he gets set to compete in the season finale for the 17th time, the Swiss naturally has high expectations, considering the last and only time he failed to advance through the group stage was in 2008. But the 38-year-old arrives at The O2 understanding that there are seven other elite players in the field who want to lift the trophy at the end of the week just as much as he does.

“Of course it would be nice. I’m not the only guy who has that hope and that dream. So we’ll see how it goes,” Federer said of his hopes of triumphing. “But I think indoors, it’s more of a nostalgic thing for me as well. That’s where I had my first success on the Tour. When I came onto the Tour this is where I made my first points on the satellite-level, challenger-level and tour-level. That’s how I got up the Rankings, it was through the indoors. And so I always feel comfortable regardless of what indoor court I go to.”

Federer owns the most wins and the best winning percentage in indoors of all the players competing in this year’s ATP Finals. And his 57-15 record at this tournament speaks for itself.

“It feels like I come home in some ways when I play indoors, so it’s the same thing here,” Federer said. “So far I’ve felt great, the court plays nice and I’m sure we’ll see some great tennis.”

When the groups were announced earlier this week, Federer landed in Group Bjorn Borg, in which five-time champion Novak Djokovic will also be competing. The last time the two legends played one another, Djokovic saved two championship points to defeat Federer for the Wimbledon title.

“Wimbledon was epic,” Federer said. “That was a special match for both of us. Maybe a bit more for him than for me, but that’s okay. I moved on a long time ago. When we match up I think our games really match up nicely. It’s great for the crowd, super-athletic. We have different playing styles. It’s pretty quick here I feel, the court. So it will be interesting. Indoors you focus more maybe on your serve and all that stuff rather than what your opponent does, but it should be exciting. I’m excited to play against Novak again here.”

Second among active players behind Federer in indoor victories and winning percentage is Djokovic, who leads their ATP Head to Head series 26-22. The second seed has won three of five ATP Finals clashes against Federer, with each of those battles coming in London. A reporter asked Federer if he feels the indoor conditions will give him the edge against the Serbian.

“I hope so, I don’t know,” Federer said. “He’s been playing indoors okay, too. So it’s not like his record is nonexistent or is like so much worse than mine. I don’t even know if it’s worse than mine or mine is better. But honestly I’m very excited to play against Novak again here. I’m happy to be in his group.”

Also in Group Bjorn Borg are Dominic Thiem. Thiem is competing at the season finale for the fourth straight year, but Berrettini is making his debut. Last year when the world’s best were battling in London, the Italian was outside the Top 50. Now he is among the sport’s best, as are fellow debutants Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who are in Group Andre Agassi.

“What I like about the young guys like Matteo here qualifying for the first time, it goes away from just saying, ‘Oh, we have some talented players on the Tour.’ There’s a difference between that and already being somewhat of a national hero in your country already and being a Top 10 player in the world in tennis, which is not easy to achieve,” Federer said.

“So I think that’s great that they’re part of the Finals. It’s going to give them great experience as well moving forward to then achieve great things at Slam level, Masters 1000s, being surrounded with the eight, having the pressure to play against fellow Top 10 players from the get-go here. It’s something that will only help your career. Sascha’s win last year was definitely also a bit of a catalyst for the rest of the group that qualified this year.”

But Federer will hope that this year, they don’t break through, and that he is the one lifting his seventh ATP Finals trophy at the end of the week.

Date: 8 November 2019, Source: ATP

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