“I am Sure Rafael Nadal was Watching”: Roger Federer on his Match Against Novak Djokovic

Roger Federer avenged his Wimbledon Championships 2019 loss after defeating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 to reach the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals 2019 on Thursday.

Roger Federer’s victory over Djokovic also ensured that his arch-rival Rafael Nadal will finish the 2019 season as the No. 1 player of the year as the Serb losses his chances of finishing at the top after being knocked out of the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals.

The Swiss maestro was confident that his friend and rival Rafael Nadal would have watched their match as the year-end No.1 position was at stake. The 38-year-old was also delighted to register a victory against the Serb after four consecutive losses.

“I tried so hard and came so incredibly close against Novak the last couple years. Wimbledon was obviously epic. Paris Bercy last year- I lost 7-6 in the third – was epic. It’s nice to get one, especially with so much riding on this match. I’m sure Rafa was watching too” – Federer said in the post-match press conference at the O2 Arena.

Roger Federer earned the first break of the match after two double faults from Novak Djokovic at 2-1. The Swiss maestro then served out the set 6-4 with some brilliant service games, hitting up eight aces against no double-faults.

Roger Federer then took the momentum in the next set, breaking Djokovic in the fifth game of the second set for a 3-2 lead. The Basel native won the match, breaking the Serb at love in the ninth game after Djokovic hit a forehand volley into the net.

Federer’s last win over Djokovic came four years ago during their round-robin match at the year-end event in London. However, from that point, the 32-year-old had won four straight matches against Roger Federer.

The 16-time Grand Slam champion still leads the head-to-head record against Federer 26-23 and 6-5 on indoor courts, but the victory on Thursday keeps Federer alive for a chance at his seventh ATP Finals title. It will also be the 16th semifinal appearance for Roger Federer in 17 years at the ATP Finals.