ATP World Tour Finals 2015 Results: Tuesday Tennis Scores and Updated Schedule
Roger Federer handed Novak Djokovic his first defeat since August at the ATP World Tour Finals on Tuesday, beating him in straight sets and qualifying for the semi-finals in the process.
The veteran produced a determined performance against the world no. 1, winning 7-5, 6-2 in front of a bewitched crowd at the O2 Arena, London.
Earlier in the day Kei Nishikori needed three sets to get past Tomas Berdych, winning 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. The two easily produced the most competitive match of the tournament so far and the first that took three sets to conclude.
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Here's a look at the full results and the upcoming schedule:
| Tuesday, Nov. 17 | Kei Nishikori (8) | 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 | Tomas Berdych (6) |
| Tuesday, Nov. 17 | Roger Federer (3) | 7-5, 6-2 | Novak Djokovic (1) |
| Wednesday, Nov. 18 | Andy Murray (2) | TBD | Rafael Nadal (5) |
| Wednesday, Nov. 18 | Stan Wawrinka (4) | TBD | David Ferrer (7) |
Recap
Federer played one of his best matches of the season and took full advantage of some sloppy mistakes from Djokovic to cruise to victory, handing the world No. 1 his first defeat in months.
Per Christopher Clarey of the New York Times, the rivalry between the two tennis giants has been remarkably close:
The first set showed exactly why it's almost impossible to predict a winner whenever these two meet. Both Federer and Djokovic found success with their serve early and didn't give each other an inch, leading to a very tight battle.
They both ended up getting 72 percent of their first serves into play in the first set, impressive given the risks they were taking to negate the other's ability to return with interest. Tennis TV showed why consistency was the key:
Things took a decisive swing in the 12th game. Serving to stay in the set, Djokovic fired two routine forehands well beyond the baseline, handing Federer a set point and a golden opportunity. An ace momentarily kept the Serb in the set, but a few points later, Federer worked the ball all over the court and finally converted with a delightful half-volley at the net.
BBC Tennis was impressed:
Federer pushed his advantage and immediately broke Djokovic again in the second set, but suddenly he started to struggle with his forehand.
Djokovic broke back and tied things up a game later. If the first set had been predictable, the second was as mad as it gets, per Tennis TV:
Federer managed to solve his issues with his forehand and grabbed another break in the sixth game, putting him within two games of the win. He easily held serve in the next, at which point Djokovic seemed to lose focus. Just one game later, his remarkable win streak was over.
Djokovic looked dejected for much of the second set as nothing seemed to go right, and it's been a long time since fans saw him that way. After the match, Federer said it always takes something extra to beat the Serb, per Sky Sports (via BBC Sport's Aimee Lewis):
""It's always a thrill to come out here, even more so against a great player like Novak. It's a special night for tennis, and a cool atmosphere," says Federer.
Asked what tactics worked well, Federer tells Sky Sports: "I won't tell you because we might play again." After the laughter dies down, the Swiss expands: "The tactic was to mix it up. I have to against Djokovic."
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The loss is a big blow for Djokovic, but the Serb is likely to bounce back and still qualify for the semi-finals. He could meet Federer again in the final, and it will take a far better performance to win his fourth consecutive title in London.
The Swiss veteran didn't even look at his best, which is a scary thought for the rest of the field. Even at the age of 34, Federer is showing no signs of slowing down, and there's no reason to believe he couldn't add some more silverware to his impressive collection.
Nishikori Downs Berdych
Nishikori increased his chances of advancing to the next round of the World Tour Finals with a big three-set win over Berdych.
Both players' biggest strengths were evident early, as Berdych managed to dominate the opening games thanks to his thunderous serve, and Nishikori clearly held the advantage in the rallies.
Whenever Berdych's serve clicked, his opponent had no answer, but Nishikori's return game looked on point, and he mustered a number of break chances in the first set.
Betway enjoyed the action on offer:
Tied at 5-5, Nishikori finally found his first break, and he produced a fine service game to grab the first set 7-5.
Tenis Portugal's Gaspar Lanca was loving the match and the fact tickets were available for so little:
Berdych didn't manage a single ace in the first set, a shocking statistic given he's one of the most prolific servers on the ATP tour. He put just 47 percent of his first serves into play, and heading into the second set, he seemed to have lost all momentum.
Nishikori immediately broke again before holding with a series of impressive backhands, although the game could have played out very differently if Berdych hadn't showed remarkable sportsmanship, handing his opponent another first serve after a poor call from a line judge.
Livetennis.com's Hannah Wilks was impressed, even if his call came late:
Berdych finally hit his first ace of the match in the next game, and the Czech started finding a little more success in the rallies, advancing to the net with regularity. He held serve and took a quick 30-0 advantage on Nishikori's serve, before a poor forehand and double fault from the Japanese handed Berdych the break.
All momentum was gone from Nishikori's game then, and Berdych easily held serve and grabbed another break to go up 4-2. Tennis writer Allen McDuffee thought Nishikori may have injured himself:
He finally held serve for 5-3 but couldn't contain Berdych in the next game, as the Czech forced a third set.
Nishikori was visibly frustrated with himself during the break between sets and came out with more aggression to start the third, firing a huge forehand winner to win the first game. Berdych answered, and the match returned to the excellent level of the first set.
Two controversial late calls from the same line judge had Berdych fuming, and the Record's Jose Morgado was none too pleased with how the Czech handled the situation:
The seventh game of the final set was a crucial one, with several long rallies, another controversial call from the umpire and some fantastic defence from Nishikori to avoid a break. He pulled out a new racket immediately after the game, revealing a huge crack in the old one, which shockingly didn't break at an earlier point.
The new racket seemed to do the trick, however, as Nishikori immediately battled to win the first break of the final set and held his serve for a big win.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Nishikori said: “I thought I had it second set, but he started playing much better. It was really close. I got a little bit lucky, last couple of games, but I’m really happy to win today.”
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