Roger Federer vs. Novak Djokovic: Preview for 2014 ATP World Tour Men's Final
They meet again. Tennis titans Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic will clash to close out the ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday.
After cruising to the semifinals, Federer had to grind out a lengthy victory over Stan Wawrinka to advance to his ninth WTF final. Djokovic, meanwhile, can win for the third straight year after besting rising star Kei Nishikori to set up the star-studded bout.
The two met in the same spot two years ago, with Djokovic getting the upper hand. Which rival will best the other in the latest installment of one of the sport's most intriguing feuds?
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Here's a preview of Sunday's final slate between two icons.
ATP World Tour Finals Viewing Info
When: Sunday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. ET (6 p.m. GMT)
Where: The O2 Arena, London, England
Watch: ESPN 2/WatchESPN
Preview
Although Federer survived a classic match against Wawrinka, the grueling nature of his victory puts him at a disadvantage against Djokovic.
Despite dropping the opening set, the wily veteran endured a tightly contested match. Never one to sing his own praises, Federer told BBC Sports' Piers Newbery that he felt fortunate to escape with a victory.
"I got lucky," Federer said. "Stan played better from the baseline, and that usually does the job on this court. But I kept fighting. It's tough [on Stan], but I'm thrilled to be in another final in London."
Federer had not dropped a set before running into Wawrinka, but his fellow Swiss foe made the 33-year-old exhaust all the fuel in his tank. While the two men battled for nearly three hours, Djokovic's latest victory didn't make it to 90 minutes.
That's the difference between watching Interstellar or a kid's movie. FiveThirtyEight's Carl Bialik looked back to locate a similar time discrepancy in the tournament.
Courtesy of Stuart Appleby, Federer was burning the midnight oil to honor his media obligations a day before facing the world's best male tennis player.
Six years his junior, Djokovic also has the advantage of getting more rest after playing a shorter match earlier in the day. Once he topped Nishikori in three sets, per ESPN.com's Greg Garber, his thoughts immediately shifted to a possible meeting with Federer.
"If I get to play him tomorrow, I'm going to have to deliver my best game because that is what is needed when you play against Roger at this stage of one of the most important tournaments of the year. We all know how good he is in finals. I know what to expect from him. Hopefully I can deliver what I imagine."
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Over the course of their careers, neither man has enjoyed a distinguishable edge over the other. According to ATPWorldTour.com, Federer is 19-17 in their head-to-head clashes, but Djokovic has won seven of 12 slates since 2012.
Djokovic has emerged victorious in their past two WTF showdowns, yet Federer leads all men with six overall victories. They have accounted for seven of the last eight first-place finishes, with Nikolay Davydenko sneaking in the one holdover in 2009.
This is the matchup everyone wanted, and the tennis gods granted that wish. With that hype, expectations for an epic final are high. Luckily for fans, these two have a knack for delivering when it counts.
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