He didn’t need to prove it, but Novak Djokovic has truly firmly planted his status as the 2015 French Open favorite, sadly pushing Rafael Nadal out of the way. What is exciting is that there will be two tennis players at Roland Garros who have an undefeated record on clay this season with another one who’s won the open in nine of ten years. It’s something to really look forward to.

Djokovic has now won 19 of the last 41 Masters tournaments. He’s now won four titles in Rome after winning it in 2008 (over Wawrinka), 2011 (over Nadal) and 2014 (over Nadal). He’s now won at least four titles at three Masters tournaments: Miami (five), Indian Wells and Rome (four apiece).

Roger Federer was seeking one of the few titles he hasn’t won in his illustrious career at the 2015 Rome Open, but top seed Novak Djokovic was more determined to win it for the fourth time. This match easily made up for the two lackluster ones the players had on Saturday.  The Serbian tennis star was victorious in just two sets 6-4, 6-3 in less than eighty minutes.

Number two seed Federer was also trying to make up for his last loss to Djokovic that he got at Indian Wells, but the Serbian tennis player has been on a tremendous roll and it looks like no one is going to stop him from breaking multiple tennis records this season.

This was the 39th meeting between Federer and Djokovic. They sit in second on the ‘Most Open Era Match-Ups’ list and are now just four meetings behind Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal in first. Federer won their most recent encounter on clay at the 2014 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and owns a 4-3 overall advantage on the surface.

The World No. 1 clinched his fifth title of the season with victory over No. 2-ranked Roger Federer in the Rome final. Djokovic is now 21-18 lifetime in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

Djokovic moved clear of Federer with his 24th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, just three shy of all-time titles leader Rafael Nadal on 27.

He has won four of the five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in 2015 and is riding a 22-match winning streak, with his last loss coming to Federer on 28 February in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final.

Djokovic, who will celebrate his 28th birthday on 22 May, earned $628,100 in prize money and 1000 Emirates ATP Rankings points. He is now 35-2 on the season, which includes titles at the Australian Open (d. Murray), the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (d. Federer), the Miami Open presented by Itauin Miami (d. Murray) and the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Berdych).

Novak Djokovic comments about the match:

“È sempre un piacere sfidare Roger Federer, oggi sono molto contento,” says Djokovic, addressing the crowd in Italian. “Mi sento a casa qui. Ringrazio voi del pubblico. Ogni anno è sempre troppo bello tornare qui. Siete insuperabili.”

Translation: “It’s always a pleasure to challenge Roger Federer. Now I am very happy. I feel at home here. Thank you to the public. Every year is always too good to be back here. You’re unsurpassed.”

Roger Federer comments about the match:

“It’s been a wonderful week, I’m happy I chose to come and play,” says Federer while accepting his runner-up plate. “It’s been a good year so far, a good tournament, but Novak was too strong today. Congratulations, great effort, keep it up.”

Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer: A Long Fun Intense Rivalry

Djokovic is on a 37-match winning streak at the highest-level tournaments: Grand Slams, ATP Masters 1000s and Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The run dates back to his title in Paris-Bercy last November:

Set 1
A gladiatorial Roman clash fitting of the ATP World Tour‘s top two players, both Djokovic and Federer entered the iconic Foro Italico eager to notch another victory in their fierce rivalry.

The top seeded Serb witnessed a slip in return efficiency this week in the Italian capital, marked by a combined 46 per cent break points won, and the question would be whether he could stem a dominant serving run from the second seeded Swiss. Djokovic had boasted an average 44 per cent total return points won entering the week, yet he has failed to crack the 40 per cent mark in three of his four matches in Rome.

The ball was flying off the Centrale clay in the early stages on Sunday, with Djokovic capturing his first 10 of 11 points on serve. The World No. 1 had grinded for a combined seven hours, 25 minutes on court entering Sunday’s final, while Federer spent three hours fewer in reaching his fourth title match in Rome, so holding in a quick, efficient manner would be critical for Djokovic.

The Serb’s serve came under fire at 4-all as Federer conjured a 0/30 lead, and after forcing the game to deuce, he would get his first break chance. But a methodical Djokovic would hit his spots to hold, edging ahead 5-4. Hard to believe that Federer had a break-point chance at 4-4 in the first set. Had he converted there, it might have been an entirely different match. Instead, Djokovic won eight of the next 11 games and a majority of the points. That was the only break point he faced all day.

The top seed pulled to within two points of grabbing the opener at 15/30 in the next game, but Federer quelled any thoughts of a break….for the moment. At deuce, Djokovic rifled a return winner that clipped the edge of the tramline and would convert on his first set point to wrap up the opener in 39 minutes. He struck 11 winners and won 89 per cent of first serve points.

SET 2 –
For the second straight year, Djokovic entered the Rome final having dropped three sets. Last year, Djokovic found his range and rhythm to stave off an offensive onslaught from Rafael Nadal.

Against Federer, he refused to let his foot off the gas as the second set commenced. The Swiss would have his moments of brilliance, powering a backhand winner down the line to save a second break point in the second game, but it was not enough. Djokovic took the early lead with a break for 2-0 and consolidated for a three-game advantage behind a total 30-12 baseline points won.

Federer was ruthless off the ground against Stan Wawrinka in Saturday’s semi-finals, but with Djokovic standing tall and taking the ball early, he found himself struggling to make inroads from the back of the court. Serving at an indomitable 73 per cent for the match, Djokovic secured his fourth Rome trophy in 76 minutes as Federer struck a forehand wide on match point.

Federer, who was competing in Rome for the 15th time, also finished runner-up in 2003 (l. to Felix Mantilla), 2006 and 2013 (l. to Nadal both times).

The Swiss walks away with $308,000 and 600 Emirates ATP Rankings points. He is now 85-44 in tour-level finals, including 23-18 in ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title matches.

This marks Novak Djokovic’s fourth win at the Rome Open in a short but satisfying match and now on to the 2015 French Open where our Shane Lambert gives his reason why Rafael Nadal still has a shot at winning.

Top seeded Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are meeting again on Sunday for the thirty-ninth time at the 2015 Rome Open, and the Serbian tennis star beat the Swiss maestro in their last match. They both had rather simple matches on Saturday giving them plenty of time to rest and get ready, physically and mentally for each other as these two can easily best one another depending on the day and even time of day.

The Rome Open title is one that Federer has yet to win while Djokovic is going for his fourth title crown so you know the action should be very intense as the two will fight for this title for the fifth time in a decade.

2015 – [1] Djokovic vs. [2] Federer
2014 – [2] Djokovic d. [1] Nadal
2012 – [2] Nadal d. [1] Djokovic
2011 – [2] Djokovic d. [1] Nadal
2006 – [2] Nadal d. [1] Federer

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

Winner         $628,100 and 1,000 Emirates ATP Rankings points
Runner-up     $308,000 and 600 Emirates ATP Rankings points

•    FINALS HISTORY:   

Djokovic is bidding for a 24th ATP Masters 1000 title (23-10) and a 53rd overall (52-23)
Federer is bidding for a 24th ATP Masters 1000 title (23-17) and an 86th overall (85-43)

•    RACE FOR NO. 24: Djokovic and Federer are tied on 23 ATP Masters 1000 titles. The winner today will take sole ownership of second place on the all-time list, moving within three of Rafael Nadal.

PLAYER TITLES
Rafael Nadal 27
Roger Federer 23
Novak Djokovic 23
Andre Agassi 17
Pete Sampras 11
Andy Murray 10

•    BIG FOUR DOMINATION: With Djokovic and Federer in the final, the Big Four are guaranteed to extend their run of dominance at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. After today, they will have accounted for 44 of the last 48 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments (since 2010 Monte-Carlo). The only exceptions came at Paris-Bercy in 2010 (Robin Soderling) and 2012 (David Ferrer) and last year in Monte-Carlo (Stan Wawrinka) and Toronto (Jo-Wilfried Tsonga).

•    MASTERING THE MASTERS: Djokovic has been dominant at this tournament level in recent years, winning 18 of the last 40 (45%) Masters 1000 events. He is chasing a fourth title in Rome, having won here in 2008 (d. Wawrinka), 2011 (d. Nadal) and 2014 (d. Nadal). He has won at least four titles at two ATP Masters 1000 tournaments: Miami (5) and Indian Wells (4).

•    WINNING STREAKS: Djokovic posted the fourth 20+ winning streak of his career this week, and a win today will see him tie his third longest run. He has won 21 matches in a row since his last loss to Federer in the Doha final.

Federer leads the way with seven 20+ winning streaks during his career, followed by Nadal (6), Lendl (4), Djokovic (4) and three players on three: Borg, McEnroe and Sampras. The longest unbeaten run in the Open Era belongs to Guillermo Vilas, who captured 46 wins in a row in 1977.

•    BIG SEVEN TITLE FEAT? Djokovic is on a 36-match winning streak at the highest-level tournaments: Grand Slams, ATP Masters 1000s andBarclays ATP World Tour Finals. The run dates back to his title in Paris-Bercy last November:

2015 ATP Masters 1000 Rome        vs. Federer    36-0
2015 ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo    d. Berdych     32-0
2015 ATP Masters 1000 Miami        d. Murray    27-0
2015 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells    d. Federer    21-0
2015 Australian Open            d. Murray    16-0
2014 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals    d. Federer    9-0
2014 ATP Masters 1000 Paris        d. Raonic    5-0

[pdf-embedder url=”http://movietvtechgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2015-rome-open-finals-draw-schedule.pdf”]

•    FEDERER CHASING ELUSIVE CROWN: Federer is making his 15th appearance in Rome and is still seeking a first title here. At no other tournament has he appeared more without winning the title. He has reached the final in the Italian capital three times: 2003 (l. to Mantilla), 2006 (l. to Nadal) and 2013 (l. to Nadal).

•    FULL HOUSE: Federer is trying to win his eighth different current ATP Masters 1000 title (ninth overall with Hamburg, which he won when it was a Masters 1000 event). The only two tournaments he has failed to win at this level are Monte-Carlo and Rome. No player has won all nine current ATP Masters 1000 events with Djokovic coming the closest with eight (missing Cincinnati). Here’s a look at the active leading multiple ATP Masters 1000 title winners (with total):

Djokovic     8 (23)    Miami ‘07, ‘11, ‘12, ‘14, ‘15; Montreal/Toronto ‘07, ’11, ‘12; Indian Wells ‘08, ‘11, ‘14, ‘15; Rome ‘08, ‘11, ‘14; Paris ‘09, ’13, ‘14; Madrid ‘11; Shanghai ‘12-13; Monte-Carlo ‘13, ‘15
Federer     8 (23)    Hamburg ’02, ‘04-05, ‘07; Indian Wells ‘04-06, ‘12; Toronto ‘04, ‘06, Miami ‘05-06; Cincinnati ‘05, ’07, ‘09-10, ’12, ‘14; Madrid ‘06, ‘09, ‘12; Paris ’11; Shanghai ‘14
Nadal         7 (27)    Monte-Carlo ‘05-12; Rome ‘05-07, ‘09-10, ‘12-13; Montreal/Toronto ‘05, ‘08, ‘13; Cincinnati ‘13; Madrid ‘05, ‘10, ‘13-14; Indian Wells ‘07, ’09, ‘13; Hamburg ‘08
Murray        5 (10)    Cincinnati ‘08, ‘11; Madrid ‘08, ‘15; Miami ‘09, ‘13; Montreal/Toronto ‘09, ‘10; Shanghai ‘10-11

•    RIVALRY FOR THE AGES: This will be the 39th meeting between Federer and Djokovic. They sit second on the ‘Most Open Era Match-Ups’ table and are now just four meetings behind Djokovic vs. Nadal in first. The pair’s respective coaches, Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, met 35 times.

DAY 8 FEDEX ATP HEAD2HEADS

FedEx ATP Head2Head: Federer leads 20-18
2006     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo     Clay     R64     Roger Federer     6-3 2-6 6-3
2006     SUI v. SCG WG PO (Switzerland)         Hard     RR     Roger Federer     6-3 6-2 6-3
2007     Australian Open (Australia)         Hard     R16     Roger Federer     6-2 7-5 6-3
2007     Dubai (U.A.E.)                 Hard     QF     Roger Federer     6-3 6-7(6) 6-3
2007     ATP Masters Series Canada (Canada)     Hard     F     Novak Djokovic    7-6(2) 2-6 7-6(2)
2007     US Open (U.S.A.)             Hard     F     Roger Federer     7-6(4) 7-6(2) 6-4
2008     Australian Open (Australia)         Hard     SF     Novak Djokovic     7-5 6-3 7-6(5)
2008     ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo (Monaco) Clay     SF     Roger Federer    6-3 3-2 ret
2008     US Open (U.S.A.)             Hard     SF    Roger Federer     6-3 5-7 7-5 6-2
2009     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami     Hard     SF     Novak Djokovic    3-6 6-2 6-3
2009     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (Italy) Clay     SF     Novak Djokovic     4-6 6-3 6-3
2009     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Cincinnati     Hard     F     Roger Federer     6-1 7-5
2009     US Open (U.S.A.)             Hard     SF     Roger Federer     7-6(3) 7-5 7-5
2009     Basel (Switzerland)             Hard     F     Novak Djokovic    6-4 4-6 6-2
2010     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Canada     Hard     SF    Roger Federer    6-1 3-6 7-5
2010     US Open (U.S.A.)             Hard     SF     Novak Djokovic     5-7 6-1 5-7 6-2 7-5
2010     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai     Hard     SF     Roger Federer     7-5 6-4
2010     Basel (Switzerland)             Hard     F     Roger Federer     6-4 3-6 6-1
2010     Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (England) Hard     SF     Roger Federer     6-1 6-4
2011     Australian Open (Australia)         Hard     SF     Novak Djokovic     7-6(3) 7-5 6-4
2011     Dubai (U.A.E.)                 Hard    F     Novak Djokovic     6-3 6-3
2011     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells Hard     SF     Novak Djokovic    6-3 3-6 6-2
2011     Roland Garros (France)             Clay     SF     Roger Federer     7-6(5) 6-3 3-6 7-6(5)
2011     US Open (U.S.A.)             Hard     SF     Novak Djokovic    6-7(7) 4-6 6-3 6-2 7-5
2012     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (Italy) Clay     SF     Novak Djokovic    6-2 7-6(4)
2012     Roland Garros (France)             Clay     SF     Novak Djokovic    6-4 7-5 6-3
2012     Wimbledon (Great Britain)         Grass     SF     Roger Federer     6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3
2012     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Cincinnati     Hard     F     Roger Federer     6-0 7-6(7)
2012     Barclays ATP World Tour Finals         Hard     F     Novak Djokovic    7-6(6) 7-5
2013     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris     Hard     SF     Novak Djokovic    4-6 6-3 6-2
2013     Barclays ATP World Tour Finals         Hard     RR     Novak Djokovic     6-4 6-7(2) 6-2
2014     Dubai (U.A.E.)                 Hard     SF     Roger Federer     3-6 6-3 6-2
2014     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells Hard     F     Novak Djokovic     3-6 6-3 7-6(3)
2014     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo Clay     SF     Roger Federer     7-5 6-2
2014     Wimbledon (Great Britain)         Grass     F     Novak Djokovic     6-7(7) 6-4 7-6(4) 5-7 6-4
2014     ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai    Hard    SF    Roger Federer    6-4 6-4
2015     Dubai (U.A.E.)                Hard    F    Roger Federer    6-3 7-5
2015    ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells Hard    F    Novak Djokovic    6-3 6-7(5) 6-2

•    Djokovic posted three decisive-set victories over Nicolas Almagro, Thomaz Bellucci and Kei Nishikori, before overcoming David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4 to reach his sixth Rome final.
•    Djokovic returns to Rome for the ninth time. He has now reached at least the QF here on all nine of his visits, winning the title in 2008 (d. Wawrinka), 2011 (d. Nadal) and 2014 (d. Nadal). He finished runner-up in 2009 (l. to Nadal) and 2012 (l. to Nadal).
•    Djokovic leads the ATP World Tour with a 34-2 match record and four titles this season. He has captured victories over the other nine members of the Top 10 this season and he leads the tour with a 13-1 record vs. Top 10 foes in 2015.
•    Djokovic’s lone clay-court outing this year came in Monte-Carlo where he became the first player to capture the opening three ATP Masters 1000 events of the season. In the Principality, the Serb closed with three consecutive Top 10 wins over Marin Cilic, Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych.
•    Djokovic is in on a 21-match winning streak, which also includes his title runs in Indian Wells (d. Federer) and Miami (d. Murray). His victory at Indian Wells saw him become the 11th player in the Open Era to win 50 titles, surpassing Rod Laver and coach Boris Becker, who both finished their careers on 49. He now has 52 titles to his name.
•    Djokovic has won 23 ATP Masters 1000 titles during his career, putting him level with Federer (23) and four short of Nadal (27). The trio rank in the Top 3 for titles won at this tournament level.
•    In January, Djokovic became the first man in the Open Era to win fiveAustralian Open titles, defeating Murray in the final. It was his eighth Grand Slam crown, putting him level with Agassi, Connors, Lendl, Perry and Rosewall in eighth place on the all-time list for most major titles.
•    Djokovic’s last defeat came against Federer in the Dubai final in early March. His only other loss this year came in the opening week of the season, falling to Ivo Karlovic in the Doha QF.
•    Since falling to Nadal in last year’s Roland Garros final, Djokovic has posted a 25-2 record against fellow Top 10 players.
•    Djokovic has won a 6-0 set on 10 separate occasions this season. This is the third time he has won 10-more 6-0 sets in a season, after posting 13 in 2011 and 14 in 2013.
•    In 2014, Djokovic finished the season at No. 1 for the third time in four years, winning an ATP World Tour-high seven titles in eight finals. His season was highlighted by capturing a second Wimbledon crown, four ATP Masters 1000 titles and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.
•    Federer has yet to drop a set this week, advancing to his fourth Rome final with straight-set wins over Pablo Cuevas, Kevin Anderson, Tomas Berdych and Stan Wawrinka. His wins over Wawrinka and Berdych were the second and third shortest matches of the tournament.
•    Federer returns to Rome for the 15th time. He is still chasing a first title here, falling in the final three times: 2003 (l. to Felix Mantilla), 2006 (l. to Nadal) and 2013 (l. to Nadal).
•    Last year Federer stumbled in his opening match at the Foro Italico, losing to Jeremy Chardy.
•    Federer suffered an early exit in Madrid, falling to Nick Kyrgios in his opening match. It was the Swiss’ first loss to a player aged 20 or younger since defeat to Del Potro in the 2009 US Open final.
•    After a 3R loss to Gael Monfils in Monte-Carlo, Federer bounced back by capturing an 85th career title in Istanbul earlier this month (d. Cuevas). Turkey became the 19th different country in which he has won an ATP World Tour title.
•    Only two male players have won more titles than Federer (85): Connors (109) and Lendl (94). Federer captured his first tour-level title here in Italy, winning Milan in 2001 (d. Boutter).
•    En route to his title in Istanbul, Federer became the seventh active player to hit 200 wins on clay.
•    In January, Federer recorded his 1000th ATP match win in the Brisbane final (d. Raonic) before a shock 3R exit at the Australian Open (l. to Seppi).
•    In February, Federer claimed his second title of the season in Dubai (d. Djokovic).
•    In March, Federer advanced to the final of Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic).
•    In 2014, Federer finished in the Top 2 for the 10th time, winning five titles including two ATP Masters 1000 crowns. Aged 33, he was the oldest player to finish in the Top 2 of the Emirates ATP Rankings (since 1973), and was the first to finish in the Top 10 for 13 years in a row (2003-2015) since Lendl (1980-1992). He also won a first Davis Cup title for Switzerland.

Most Meetings In Open Era

DOUBLES FINAL

Pablo Cuevas (URU) & David Marrero (ESP) vs [5] Marcel Granollers(ESP) & Marc Lopez (ESP)

•    Cuevas and Marrero are appearing in their first ATP Masters 1000 final together, second overall. Last year they were finalists in Oeiras (l. to Gonzalez-Lipsky).
•    Cuevas and Marrero first teamed together at the Napoli Challenger in 2009 and won the title. They then played twice in 2010, once in 2011 and four times last year, with their best result coming in Oeiras. They have a 20-14 career record.
•    Cuevas and Marrero are playing together this season (9-7 record going into final). Cuevas is appearing in his 10th career doubles final (4-5) and trying to win his first doubles title since February 2010 in Costa do Sauipe (w/Granollers). Marrero is 10-11 in doubles finals and his last title was the 2013 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (w/Verdasco). His previous ATP Masters 1000 final came in Shanghai in 2013 (w/Verdasco). He was runner-up in Estoril two weeks ago (w/M Lopez).
•    Granollers and Lopez are appearing in their 14th final together (4-9 record), first this season and fourth at ATP Masters 1000 level (1-2). Their lone ATP Masters 1000 title came in Rome in 2012 (d. Kubot-Tipsarevic). Their biggest title came at the 2012 Barclays ATP World Tour Doubles Finals.
•    Granollers and Lopez have a 126-73 tour-level match record together (9-8 this year) since reaching the SFs in Casablanca in 2010. They first paired up in 2006 at the Chiasso Challenger in Switzerland (1R). They played in six Challengers overall (7-4 record) from 2006-09, winning titles in Turin in 2006 and Mas Palomas in 2007.
•    On the ATP World Tour, Granollers and Lopez won their first title in Rome in 2012 and later that year in Gstaad & the Barclays ATP World Tour Doubles Finals. Last year they won the title in Buenos Aires, their last title together. They were also runners-up at Roland Garros and US Open in 2014.
•    Granollers is 10-14 in career doubles finals (1-3 in ATP Masters 1000) and Lopez is 10-13 in doubles finals (3-2 in ATP Masters 1000). Lopez’s other two ATP Masters 1000 titles came in 2010-11 in Indian Wells (w/Nadal).

Number one and number two ranked tennis players in the world Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will meet again for the thirty-ninth time at the 2015 Rome Open on Sunday. The two have shared a great long and fun rivalry and both can easily beat the other depending on the day. This is a match that will be a great one to watch, unlike the earlier ones today between Djokovic and David Ferrer along with the short somewhat boring one between the Swiss maestro and Stan Wawrinka.

Djokovic prevailed over the Swiss in their most recent meeting in Indian Wells to claim his fourth title there. Since then, the Serb hoisted the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies in Miami and Monte-Carlo.

Despite the loss to Djokovic in March, Federer still leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series at 20-18.

Below is a history of the pair’s 38 matches.

2015 BNP Paribas Open final, hard, Djokovic d. Federer 63 67(5) 62
In a rematch of the 2014 final, Novak Djokovic fended off Roger Federer again to win his fourth title in Indian Wells. Neither had dropped a set en route to their 38th meeting, and the Serb withstood nerves and wild momentum shifts to successfully defend his title with a two hour, 17-minute victory.

The win clinched Djokovic’s 50th ATP World Tour title and his 21st ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.

“I thought overall it was a great match from my side, very solid, great intensity, great commitment to hit every ball,” said Djokovic. “I was very focused in the present moment.”

2015 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final, Dubai, hard, Federer d. Djokovic 63 75
Federer captured a seventh crown at a third different tournament in hoisting the Dubai trophy, defeating Djokovic to retain the title. The 33-year-old Swiss, who was contesting his ninth final in 12 visits to this ATP World Tour 500 hard-court tournament, improved his overall tour-level finals record to 84-42.

Federer served four aces in the 37-minute opener and became the fourth player (since 1991) to hit 9000 aces when he fired down a service winner at the start of the sixth game of the second set. He would pounce in the 11th game, breaking Djokovic with a forehand winner to lead 6-5. Federer faltered slightly serving for the match and was forced to save a seventh break point, before sealing victory at the second time of asking in 84 minutes.

“I think it’s really become a very nice rivalry,” said Federer. “I think we play very nicely against each other, and it seems people like the way we play against each other, as well. I don’t think we have to adjust our games very much against each other, which I think is nice, as well. We can just play our game, and then the better man wins.”

2014 Shanghai Rolex Masters semi-final, Shanghai, hard, Federer d. Djokovic 64 64
Federer snapped two-time defending champion Djokovic’s 28-match winning streak on Chinese soil as he reached his 39th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final and second in Shanghai. The win brought the Swiss back to No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Federer needed just one break point to take the lead and eventually the first set in 48 minutes. The 22-time Masters 1000 champion broke the World No. 1 again in the opening game of the second set and maintained the one-game lead. The Serbian saved two match points on his serve before Federer served out the match in one hour and 35 minutes.

2014 Wimbledon Final, Grand Slam, London, grass, Djokovic d. Federer 67(7) 64 76(4) 57 64
Djokovic and Federer staged yet another Grand Slam thriller, with the Serb overcoming a rollercoaster fourth set to claim his second Wimbledon title and seventh crown at the major level. Djokovic returned to World No. 1 with the win, embarking on his third stint atop the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Federer’s resiliency was on full display in his ninth Wimbledon final, saving a championship point in the fourth set, while reeling off five consecutive games from 2-5 down. The momentum swung to his corner as he forced a deciding set, with the Centre Court faithful roaring in approval of the high-quality affair. Djokovic would not be denied, however, as the top seed converted his fourth break of serve for the victory after three hours and 56 minutes.

The 27-year-old Djokovic turned the tide in Grand Slam finals, having lost five of his past six coming into the Wimbledon final. He lifted the trophy at the All England Club for the second time, having previously triumphed in 2011 with victory over Nadal.

2014 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters semi-final, Monte-Carlo, clay, Federer d. Djokovic 75 62
Federer ended Djokovic’s reign in Monte-Carlo with victory in 75 minutes. Djokovic, who saw his 13-match winning run come to an end, had completed the Indian Wells-Miami double the previous month. After missing the chance to break Djokovic at 4-4 in the first set, Federer found himself in trouble as he faced two set points at 15/40 on serve in the 10th game. The Basel native held on, though, and then clawed his way back from 40/0 down on Djokovic’s serve in the following game to break the Serb and steal the set. With Djokovic hampered by an injured right wrist, which was heavily strapped, Federer took full advantage and broke the Serb twice to prevail. He lost just five points on serve in the second set.

2014 BNP Paribas Open final, Indian Wells, hard, Djokovic d. Federer 36 63 76(3)
Novak Djokovic rallied past Roger Federer for his first title of the year and third at Indian Wells. Djokovic and Federer were squaring off for the 33rd time, with the second-seeded Serb snapping Federer’s 11-match win streak. After failing to serve out the victory at 5-4 in the third set, Djokovic came back strong in the tie-break to defeat the four-time champion. The 26 year old claimed his 42nd title and 17th at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, tying American Andre Agassi at third on the Masters 1000 title leaders list.

2014 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-finals, Dubai, hard, Federer d. Djokovic 36 63 62
It was a hyper aggressive Roger Federerwho ended a three-match losing run againstNovak Djokovic, defeating the Serb for the first time since the 2012 Western & Southern Open final in Cincinnati. Despite losing the first set, the Swiss hit his backhand with conviction and attacked the net frequently. He took advantage of a brief rain delay in the second set to come back strongly. The five-time Dubai titlist broke Djokovic before dominating the decider with two further service breaks. It was the first time that Federer has lost the first set against Djokovic and rallied to win. Victory for Federer denied Djokovic, a four-time champion at the Aviation Club, the 550th match win of his career and earned the Swiss a shot at winning his 78th tour-level title.

2013 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals round robin, London, indoor hard, Djokovic d. Federer 64 67(2) 62
A repeat of the 2012 final in London, Djokovic and Federer squared off for the second time in just four days after not meeting in nearly a year. Playing in his fifth match in six days, all against Top 15 competition, the Serb extended his overall winning streak to 18 straight after a two hour and 22 minute struggle. Federer opened the match in strong form, winning free points on his serve and taking the ball early in rallies, disrupting Djokovic’s timing. The Swiss was unable to convert on a break point at 4-4 in the first set, however, and his focus drifted at a crucial juncture in the next game, handing the set to Djokovic when a forehand sailed long.

Djokovic struggled with his balance and footwork in the second set and a bevy of loose forehands opened the door for Federer. Four combined breaks of serve in six games towards the end of the set led to a tie-break, which Federer would dominate.

With neither player able to capitalise on momentum shifts, Djokovic opened the third set with a break at love and never looked back, breaking again for 4-1. Despite a few wayward games in the second set, Djokovic dominated on his serve throughout the match, particularly on his second serve. Additionally, when his offensive firepower was missing he drew on his defensive prowess to win points.

2013 BNP Paribas Masters semi-finals, Paris, indoor hard, Djokovic d. Federer 46 63 62
Djokovic and Federer renewed their rivalry in Paris, dueling for just the first time in 2013 after facing off a total of 20 times in the previous four years. The Swiss sprinted to a fast start, breaking for a 2-1 lead and saving four break points in the 10th game before snatching the opening set. Federer’s hopes of reaching a second final in Paris were further buoyed by an immediate break to open the second set. Djokovic would dig deep, however, breaking back and claiming 12 of the next 16 games for the victory in two hours. The Serb kept his slim hopes alive to retain the year-end World No. 1 with the win, improving his winning streak on indoor hard courts to 19 straight.

2012 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals final, London, indoor hard, Djokovic d. Federer 76(6) 75
It was a match that could just have easily seen Federer the victor in straight sets. The Swiss, who was hunting for a seventh title at the year-end championships, led by a service break in both sets and had two chances to level the match when he led 5-4, 40/15 in the second set. Djokovic would not be cowed. The Serb screamed in celebration as he levelled at 5-5 after Federer struck a forehand long and went onto win the final two games of the match to claim a dramatic victory in two hours and 14 minutes. The 25 year old fired a backhand pass down the line on match point and pumped his chest as a capacity 17,800 spectators erupted in applause.

2012 Western & Southern Open final, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, hard, Federer d. Djokovic 60 76(7)
Neither player had dropped serve entering the match, but Roger Federerbroke Novak Djokovic in the opening game and stormed to a one-set lead in just 20 minutes – his first bagel set in 28 meetings with the Serbian (82 sets). The 25-year-old Serbian settled into the second set to force a tie-break, and held set point at 7-6, but Federer wiped it away with an aggressive tactic at the net and cracked back-to-back forehand winners to claim victory in 80 minutes. With the victory, Federer tied Rafael Nadal for the most ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns with 21 and became the first player in the Open Era to win five Cincinnati trophies.

2012 Wimbledon Semi-final, Grand Slam, London, grass, Federer d. Djokovic 63 36 64 63
Under a closed roof, Roger Federer broke serve in the sixth game, and went onto clinch the 24-minute first set having committed just two unforced errors. Djokovic raised his game with tennis of the highest quality to seal the 30-minute second set. The temperature gauge increased at 2-3, in the third set, when Djokovic weathered a storm, winning 23-and-25-stroke rallies in a dramatic eight-minute game. Federer survived his own wobble, but was able to win the set. The Swiss maintained his dominance in the fourth set, opening up a 3-0 lead, to book a place in his 24th major championship final (16-7 overall). It also gave Federer a shot at reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking should he win his eighth Wimbledon final.

2012 Roland Garros Semi-final, Grand Slam, Paris, clay, Djokovic d. Federer 64 75 63
Novak Djokovic gained a shot at history by reaching his first Roland Garros final. In a match played in overcast and often windy conditions, the pair exchanged service breaks midway through the first set, before Djokovic began to unpick Federer’s aggressive game plan. Djokovic sealed the 34-minute first set, having committed just three unforced errors. Federer raced into a 3-0 second-set lead, but later on he failed to convert three break point opportunities for a 5-2 lead. Federer served for the set at 5-4, but Djokovic won three straight games. Federer won 14 of his 35 service points in the 53-minute set. Federer’s first serve percentage dropped dramatically in the third set. Djokovic broke for 4-2 and went onto hit an unreturned serve to complete victory in two hours and five minutes. It gave the top seed an opportunity to become the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four major titles.

2012 Internazionali BNL d’Italia Semi-final, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, Rome, clay, Djokovic d. Federer 62 76(4)
Novak Djokovic controlled the majority of the clash, untilRoger Federer fought back at 2-6, 4-5, 0/30. The Swiss denied Djokovic his first opportunity to close out the match, converting his only service break to level the second set at 5-5 after saving a match point. But Djokovic regained his composure in the ensuing tie-break, capitalising on an early mini-break advantage to seal the final four victory in one hour and 40 minutes. “Here he was winning convincingly in all his matches, so I knew he was in good form,” said Djokovic. “I needed to step in the match, believing I could win. I played really good from the beginning to the end.”

2011 US Open Semi-final, Grand Slam, New York, hard, Djokovic d. Federer 67(7) 46 63 62 75
A year earlier the pair had contested a thrilling semi-final at the US Open, which sawNovak Djokovic save two match points to deny Roger Federer a place in his sixth successive final in New York. If possible, their 24th contest was even better. Federer was too strong for his Serbian opponent in the early stages, opening up a commanding two-set lead after one hour and 51 minutes. Djokovic began his comeback with a service break at the start of the third set and again broke down the Swiss’ defences in the first game of the fourth set. Largely impenetrable on serve, Djokovic broke Federer once more to force a decider. Federer regained his composure to break Djokovic’s serve in the eighth game of the fifth set and was on the brink of victory when he led 5-3, 40/15. He was unable to convert either of his match points, though, and Djokovic reeled off the final four games to complete a dramatic comeback. “It was a very similar situation to last year,” acknowledged Djokovic. “I had to take my chances. I was very close to being on my way back home. It was an incredible last two games.” It was the second time in his career that Djokovic had won from two sets down, and it was just the second time that Federer had surrendered a two-set lead in a Grand Slam match – the first occasioning just two months earlier against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

2011 Roland Garros Semi-final, Grand Slam, Paris, clay, Federer d. Djokovic 76(5) 63 36 76(5)
Roger Federer snapped a three-match losing run against Novak Djokovic and ended the Serb’s remarkable 2011 winning streak at 41 matches as he prevailed in their Roland Garros semi-final clash. The standard of tennis was exceptional in the 70-minute first set, which Federer won in a tie-break after saving two set points at 4-5. The Swiss then swiftly opened up a 4-1 advantage in the second set as he took a commanding lead in the encounter. Djokovic capitalised on a slight dip in Federer’s standard at the start of the third set and went up 3-0 as he attempted to become the first player in 175 attempts to beat Federer from two sets down in a Grand Slam match. Having closed out the 37-minute third set, Djokovic served for the fourth set at 5-4, but Federer clawed his way back to force a tie-break. Djokovic cancelled out Federer’s early advantage in the tie-break, but from 3-3, Federer won three straight points including two aces. Djokovic saved two match points, but Federer closed out victory with his 18th ace of the match at 9:37 p.m. local time. “I really wanted to make it as physical as possible, which I was able to make happen,” Federer said. “I was really happy with the way I played. I thought it was a great match from both sides.”

2011 BNP Paribas Open Semi-final, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, Indian Wells, hard, Djokovic d. Federer 63 36 62
The World No. 2 ranking was on the line when Novak Djokovic and Roger Federersquared off in the BNP Paribas Open semi-finals. After dropping serve twice to lose the second set – marking just the fourth set he had lost since December (45-4 in sets) – Djokovic opened the third with a break of serve. He double-faulted on triple break point chance for Federer to concede the lead, 2-2, but the Swiss returned the favour in the next game. Federer lost 11 straight points from up 40/15 in the fifth game, including a double-fault on break point, and Djokovic secured one more break before serving out the match. “It was a very close match, so up to the last point you really couldn’t say who’s gonna take the win out of today’s match,” said Djokovic. “A lot of emotions. You could feel the intensity and I guess the pressure with both of us.” It was his third successive victory over Federer and guaranteed him the No. 2 spot in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings.

2011 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Final, ATP World Tour 500, Dubai, hard, Djokovic d. Federer 63 63
Novak Djokovic went into his 21st clash with Roger Federer in the Dubai final with the confidence of having beaten the Swiss just over four weeks earlier in the semi-finals of theAustralian Open. The Serb quickly signalled his intent by breaking Federer’s serve in the third game of the match. Sublime on serve throughout the opener, Djokovic relinquished just four points, and the pressure told on Federer as he succumbed again in the ninth game. Federer stepped up and produced tighter tennis in the second set and was rewarded with a break of serve in the third game. However, the Swiss was unable to maintain his lead as Djokovic levelled in the sixth game. From there Djokovic quickly pulled away as Federer again lapsed into inconsistency on the backhand wing. A mistake from the Swiss cost him his serve in the eighth game and Djokovic clinched victory in 71 minutes. Victory saw Djokovic crowned Dubai champion for the third year in a row. “This match has probably been one of the best that I played this year,” said Djokovic. “To be able to win against Roger in straight sets as I did tonight is incredible, but I want to keep on going.”

2011 Australian Open Semi-final, Grand Slam, Melbourne, hard, Djokovic d. Federer 76(3) 75 64
After suffering a resounding defeat at Roger Federer’s hands in their last meeting at theBarclays ATP World Tour Finals, Novak Djokovic came out with a point to prove when the pair contested the Australian Open semi-finals two months later. With neither player able to engineer a breakthrough in the first set, Djokovic took control of the tie-break, battering Federer into submission with his powerful baseline play. Breaks were exchanged early in the second set before Federer raised his level to establish a 5-2 lead. The Swiss was unable to serve out the set, though, and was made to rue his missed opportunity as Djokovic reeled off five straight games for a two-set lead. Federer rallied from an early break deficit in the third set, but the comeback went no further as Djokovic won the final two games from 4-4 to claim victory in three hours. “Overall, it was a great performance,” said Djokovic. “I’m very happy with the way I played. I knew that I had to use my chances.” Djokovic had also defeated Federer in straight sets in the 2008Australian Open semi-finals, which was the last time Federer had lost a Grand Slam match on hard court in straight sets.