ATP World Tour Finals 2015 Results: Sunday Tennis Scores and Updated Schedule
Novak Djokovic continued his sensational end-of-season form on Sunday, cruising past Kei Nishikori in his first ATP World Tour Finals 2015 match. The defending champion beat his Japanese opponent 6-1, 6-1 in London.
Djokovic has won the competition for three consecutive years and once again looked unstoppable, starting his campaign on a dominant note. Nishikori never had a chance against the Djoker, who didn't even give him a single break opportunity.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer easily took care of the 6'5" Tomas Berdych, winning 6-4, 6-2 to begin his tournament on the right foot. Here's a look at the results and schedule:
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| Sunday, Nov. 15 | Novak Djokovic (1) | 6-1, 6-1 | Kei Nishikori (8) |
| Sunday, Nov. 15 | Roger Federer (3) | 6-4, 6-2 | Tomas Berdych (6) |
| Monday, Nov. 16 | Andy Murray (2) | TBD | David Ferrer (7) |
| Monday, Nov. 16 | Stan Wawrinka (4) | TBD | Rafael Nadal (5) |
Recap
Federer comfortably won his first match of the Finals, surviving an early scare against Berdych to complete the task in two sets.
Berdych and Federer served up an entertaining if somewhat sloppy first set in which both made mistakes at key moments. The Czech's serve, his biggest weapon, simply couldn't find the range, leading to a mere 36 percent of first serves put into play. Federer took full advantage with a number of strong returns, but he in turn struggled during the rallies and in advancing to the net.
Two quick breaks meant the two went toward the end of the set tied at 4-4 before Federer forced another break and finished things on his own serve.
TennisTV shared some key stats and saw Federer gain some momentum toward the end of the first set:
The pattern continued in the second set, as Federer immediately broke Berdych's serve. The Swiss veteran started placing a higher emphasis on his own serve, slicing the ball wide and out of the court, and Berdych couldn't find an answer. Leading by a break, FedExpress started taking more risks in the return game, and the results were immediate.
Where the first set had been exciting, the second was as one-sided as it gets. Tennis researcher Craig O'Shannessy was impressed with what he was seeing:
The slow court certainly seemed to favour Federer, who put tons of pressure on Berdych in the rallies and forced him into mistake after mistake. The Czech finally managed to win a game down 4-0, but Federer stayed calm on his own serve and easily took the win.
Four-time defending champion Djokovic came into this year's tournament as the strong favourite, and judging by Sunday's one-sided win, it's easy to see why. The Djoker played some of his best tennis of the year against an overmatched Nishikori, winning in two sets.
From the opening rally, it became clear there would only be one winner. Djokovic immediately put absurd amounts of pressure on Nishikori, showing tons of aggression in the return game. The first break came almost instantly, and it never looked like Nishikori would break back, per Diario Record's Jose Morgado:
Fans were treated to a match that looked more like an exhibition, as Djokovic won an incredible 92 percent of points on his first serve; Nishikori managed just 36 percent. After three quick breaks and just over 30 minutes of play, the Serb won the first set.
TennisTV shared some of the stats from that set to highlight Djokovic's dominance:
Djokovic's pace really stood out in the first set, never giving Nishikori the opportunity to catch his breath between games. The latter found a way to slow things down a bit in the second, finding more success when returning.
It hardly mattered, however. Djokovic controlled his own service games so easily, and when returning, he kept stepping into the court and finding his chances. Tennis Now's Chris Oddo couldn't believe what he was seeing:
Similar to the first set, Djokovic pressed home his advantage as soon as he grabbed his first break, winning 6-1, 6-1 after just over an hour of action.
Christopher Clarey of the New York Times couldn't help but be in awe of Djokovic's incredible numbers in 2015, particularly against his top rivals:
As reported by BBC Sport's Aimee Lewis, Djokovic knows he's having an incredible year:
"It's the best season, best year of my life. I've been experiencing some of the peak time right now and everything got together.
I've had lots of success, but 2011 and 2015 definitely stand out. I'm looking back with great pride and joy. My team definitely plays a part in this.
"
Nishikori didn't enter the tournament in top form, but he's still one of the best and most respected players in world tennis. The fact he looked like he simply didn't belong on the same court with Djokovic is an ill omen for the rest of the title hopefuls, who know it will take a special performance to beat the Djoker.
Berdych did give Djokovic a tough challenge at the Paris Masters earlier in November, and the big man from the Czech Republic has the kind of powerful serve that can negate the Serb's impeccable return game. The two will meet during the group stage.
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