Djokovic vs. Federer, a Rivalry for the Ages, Is One-Sided This Time

He rested instead of practicing on Wednesday and sought medical treatment, but once on court, he sprinted from the gates, ripping winners and timing the ball beautifully just off the bounce.

Djokovic grimaced and gesticulated as the shots flew by. But he has been on a roll in Australia so far this year, leading Serbia to the ATP Cup title and rolling through his draw at the Australian Open.

This match turned for good with Djokovic down 1-4 and 0-40 on his serve in the first set as he escaped trouble. He went on to win the 62-minute set by dominating the tiebreaker.

“I just want to say respect to Roger for coming out tonight,” Djokovic said. “He obviously was hurt and wasn’t close, even close to his best in terms of movement. Respect for coming out and trying his best all the way through.”

There were still shouts of “Roger!” and “Nole!” after that first set, still some flourishes from Federer, including a lunging backhand stab-volley, drop-shot winner.

But Djokovic was too quick, too steady and too versatile, and he ran out the victory. He now holds a 27-23 edge over Federer and will be in position on Sunday to close the gap with his longtime rival in Grand Slam singles titles.

Federer has 20, a men’s record. Djokovic has 16.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/sports/tennis/djokovic-federer-australian-open.html?emc=rss&partner=rss