The semifinals at Indian Wells 2015 have been completed and Sunday’s championship final is set. That match will feature the World No. 1, Novak Djokovic, against the World No. 2, Roger Federer, in what promises to be a competitive contest.
Djokovic, perhaps playing with a mild edge, enters the final very well rested following the last two rounds of play. In the quarters he benefited from a walkover while in the semis, Djokovic had no apparent trouble with Andy Murray. Following his 6-2, 6-3 victory over the Scot, Djokovic had the following comments:
“I thought that (Murray) didn’t play close to his highest level. He made a lot of unforced errors, especially from the forehand side,” Djokovic claimed. “Low percentage of first serves in. That allowed me to obviously step in and be aggressive.”
While Djokovic did not think that Murray played well, the Serbinator was seemingly impressed with his own play:
“I thought I played solid, with the right intensity from the beginning. Good first-serve percentage. Got some free points there in the important moments.”
Federer, who played after Djokovic, also advanced to the final with a straight-sets victory in the semis. He defeated Milos Raonic, a player who is still improving on tour although one that has not really gotten into either Djokovic or Federer much to date. The line score in the Raonic/Federer semifinal was 7-5, 6-4.
After the match, Raonic, who could challenge for the World No. 3 position in the months ahead, suggested that the contest hinged on a few key points:
“I thought a few points here and there made a difference. I tried to put everything out there that I could, and the outcome was as is.”
Djokovic and Federer have a lengthy history against one another, a history that has shown a fair amount of parity. Heading into Sunday’s final it is the Swiss Maestro that owns a 20-17 heads-up record against Djokovic. That series includes a very recent win from the ATP Dubai final a few weeks ago.
Both players, who combine for 133 tour titles, are also former champions in Indian Wells.
STADIUM 1 start 11:00 am
WTA – [3] S. Halep (ROU) vs [18] J. Jankovic (SRB)
Not Before 1:00 pm
ATP – [1] N. Djokovic (SRB) vs [2] R. Federer (SUI)
While this match does feature the top two players in the world the outcome will not directly affect the rankings. At this point Djokovic’s lead is too large for Federer to overcome in just one tournament and the World No. 1 is not at stake.
Prediction: Djokovic to win.