Tennis: Djokovic takes Federer's world no. 1 record, eyes Grand Slam history

PARIS, France -- Novak Djokovic will on Monday set a new landmark of 311 weeks as world number one, surpassing Roger Federer whose hold on a record-equalling 20 Grand Slam titles is now firmly in the Serb's sights.

The 33-year-old Djokovic, already the winner of 18 majors, has time on his side with Federer turning 40 in August.

He is also a year younger than Rafael Nadal who also has 20 majors.

"Now that I've become the historic No.1, I'm relieved," said Djokovic after sweeping to a ninth Australian Open last month which guaranteed his extended stay at the top.

"Now, I'm going to be able to focus mainly on the Grand Slams."

Djokovic reclaimed the top ranking from Nadal in February 2020 and finished as year-end number one for the sixth time, tying the mark set by Pete Sampras.

He is currently in his fifth different spell atop the rankings. 

Nadal, currently at number two, has been at the top for 'only' 209 weeks in total although the 13-time Roland Garros champion can boast being a top 10 ever-present since April 2005.

He will, however, lose his world number two spot to Daniil Medvedev a week on Monday.

Federer, who returns to action in Doha next week after more than a year out of action to recover from two knee surgeries, will slip out of the top five on Monday.

Djokovic made his top 100 debut in July 2005, just weeks after Nadal had won his first Roland Garros.

He was top 50 in June 2006, top 20 for the first time in October 2006 and top 10 by March 2007.

He first became world number one at the age of 24 on July 4, 2011, the day after winning Wimbledon for the first time, beating Nadal in the final.

- Brief dip and swift return -

Only a six-month injury absence in 2017 saw his ranking plunge, all the way to 22 the following summer.

It was just a blip -- Djokovic was back at number one again by November and with the exception of November 2019 until January last year, when Nadal reclaimed pole position, he has been rock solid.

Few would bet against Djokovic, who in 2016 was the first man to break the $100 million prize money barrier, ending his career with more Slams than Federer and Nadal.

In head-to-heads, he leads Federer 27-23 and has won all six of their last meetings at the majors, including 2019's epic Wimbledon final where he saved two match points.

Federer hasn't beaten Djokovic at the Slams since Wimbledon in 2012.

Against Nadal, he has a 29-27 lead and is still one of only two men to have beaten the Spaniard at Roland Garros since 2005.

At least Nadal, however, can boast comfortably seeing off Djokovic in the 2020 Roland Garros final, denying the Serb the opportunity to become the first man in half a century to win all four Slams more than once.

Djokovic, whose lone French Open title came in 2016, has comfortably more Australian Opens than Federer (six) and Nadal (one).

His Wimbledon total stands at five to Federer's eight and Nadal's two.

At the US Open, he has three to Federer's five and Nadal's four.

"Obviously I have in my mind to win more Grand Slam titles and to break records.

"Until I retire from the tour, I will be devoting most of my attention and energy to winning the other major titles," Djokovic said.

Agence France-Presse

Dimitrov stuns Federer to reach US Open semifinals

NEW YORK – Grigor Dimitrov rallied for a shocking upset of 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer at the US Open on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time), the lowest-ranked New York semifinalist in 28 years advancing to face Daniil Medvedev.

The 78th-ranked Bulgarian, who had dropped all seven prior meetings with Federer, made a dramatic fightback to defeat the Swiss third seed 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium and will face Russian fifth seed Medvedev in Friday's semis.

"I'm just happy," Dimitrov said. "The only thing I was telling myself was to stay in the match. Physically I was feeling pretty good. I was hitting some shots against him that were hard to hit."


Dimitrov reached his first US Open semifinal to match the deepest Slam runs of his career from Wimbledon in 2014 and the 2017 Australian Open.

Not since 174th-ranked Jimmy Connors reached the 1991 quarterfinals had New York seen so lowly a figure on the ATP ratings list reach the last four.


Dimitrov is also the lowest-ranked Slam semifinalist since 94th-rated Rainer Schuettler of Germany at Wimbledon in 2008.

Federer was denied on five break points in the 10th game of the fourth set and Dimitrov held to force a fifth set.

"I was trying to stay in that game and make him stay on the court as much as possible. After that he started slowing down a little bit," Dimitrov said.


"It's a best of five sets. Anything can happen."

Federer went off the court for a private medical timeout to treat his upper back near his neck.

"This is Grigor's moment, not my body's moment," Federer said.

Dimitrov broke Federer twice on the way to a 4-0 lead in the final set and the 38-year-old Swiss star had no effective reply, foiled by 61 unforced errors in falling after three hours and 12 minutes.

"It's OK. It's how it goes," Federer said. "I tried my best. I fought with what I had and that's it."

Federer, a five-time US Open champion who hasn't lifted the Flushing Meadows title since 2008, would have become the oldest Slam semifinalist since Jimmy Connors at age 39 at the 1991 US Open.

source: philstar.com

Early US Open struggles no concern for Federer

NEW YORK – Roger Federer suggested his sluggish display in Monday's (Tuesday, Manila time) first-round win over Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal at the US Open was "not a bad thing".

The Swiss third seed, a five-time champion in New York, produced 19 unforced errors to surprisingly drop the first set against a player ranked 190th and without a tour-level win.

The 38-year-old recovered to progress 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 and clinch his 1,224th career victory that set up a meeting with Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur.

"Maybe it's not a bad thing to go through a match like this. It was very similar at Wimbledon when I dropped the first set there, as well, in the first round," said Federer, who lost a five-set epic to Novak Djokovic in last month's final at the All England Club.

"At the end you look at the last three sets, and they were good. That's encouraging."

A dismal first set served as a wake-up call for Federer, who is now 62-0 in Grand Slam first rounds dating back to the 2003 French Open.

"I broke every time first game each set. That was good. I think trying to forget the first set is never sort of easy I guess in a first round, under the lights. People expect a different result. I expect something else," he said.

"I just wanted to pick up my game really, start to play better. I was able to do that. That was a relief, going up 3-0 in the second set, realizing that it is in my racquet, how I also felt it in the first set.


"The thing is I wasn't serving consistently enough. I was hitting double-faults that usually I don't do. Also I was just hitting too many unforced errors. I was in two minds, I guess."

Federer's victory saw him qualify for a record-extending 17th ATP Tour finals appearance, although he wobbled as he served for the match in the fourth set, a struggle reminiscent of last month's Wimbledon final when he squandered two championship points.

"I thought he was getting a bit down on himself naturally after set two and three. That's why it was key to stay ahead, and I did," Federer said.

"You have to get over the finish line. I got that the hard way in Wimbledon. He did a good job to stay with me. I had to close it out. That was a tough last game. Maybe exactly the kind of service game I needed to serve it out."

source: philstar.com

Federer to make record-extending 15th semis appearance in ATP Finals

LONDON — Roger Federer is peaking at the right time — again.

The six-time champion advanced to the last four of the ATP Finals for a record-extending 15th time with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Kevin Anderson on Thursday (Friday Manila time).

Federer, chasing the 100th title of his career, needed only a set to advance and produced his best performance at the season-ending tournament to end the round-robin stages with a 2-1 win-loss record.


"I've always tried to pace myself in a way ... that I would have something left in the tank," Federer said. "I'm happy that this is another week like this. (It) didn't look like it maybe 72 hours ago."

Dominic Thiem's 6-1, 6-4 victory over Kei Nishikori earlier had left Federer with a modest task and ensured that Anderson became the first South African ever to reach the semifinals.

Federer looked as if he was about to give up a break advantage for the second time in as many service games when he dropped to 0-40 attempting to close out the opening set at 5-4, but the 20-time Grand Slam champion found his first serve when it mattered most to hold.

Anderson hadn't faced a break point in winning his first two matches. Federer, though, broke him twice more in the second set to claim top spot in the group and likely avoid a semifinal meeting with top-ranked Novak Djokovic.

"That was a little bit disappointing because I felt like I played some really good tennis so far," Anderson said. "But the plus side is I'm through to the semis. That feels great."

Having struggled in an opening loss to Nishikori and relied mainly on his serve when defeating Thiem, Federer finally found some timing with his ground-strokes to apply consistent pressure on Anderson's serve.

The previously impenetrable Anderson serve wilted, with two double faults gifting Federer a 4-3 lead. Much to the surprise — and disappointment — of the partisan crowd at the O2 Arena, the Swiss great handed the break straight back with a series of errors.

However, Federer steadied himself and made a delicate drop volley to break once more in the following game, before eventually closing out the set to maintain his record of having only missed the semifinals once in 16 appearances at the tournament.

Federer lost just four points on serve in the second set. He used a backhand slice to break for 4-3 and the same shot brought up two match points at 3-5, 15-40.

"I think I had an aggressive-playing mindset," Federer said. "A good variation as well with my slice."

Having saved a match point on his way to securing a five-set quarterfinal victory over Federer at Wimbledon, Anderson threatened another comeback as he won a 21-shot rally to get back to deuce, but there was to be no repeat this time.

Two more Anderson forehand errors ended the match and Federer won the group by virtue of their head-to-head record.

With Djokovic clear favorite to top his group, which concludes Friday, Federer has boosted his chances of avoiding the in-form Serb until the finals.

source: philstar.com

Djokovic books 11th straight US Open semis appearance

NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic put aside all of it, from his opponent’s unheard-of, middle-of-a-set chance to change out of sweat-soaked clothes and shoes, to consecutive time violations because he let the serve clock expire, to the 16 break points he wasted.

All that mattered, really, was that Djokovic managed to do what Roger Federer could not two nights earlier: beat 55th-ranked John Millman at the US Open.

Djokovic moved a step closer to a third championship at Flushing Meadows and 14th Grand Slam title overall by eliminating Millman 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to get to the tournament’s semifinals for an 11th appearance in a row. He sat out last year because of an injured right elbow.

The No. 6-seeded Djokovic, who won Wimbledon in July, had been drawn to face Federer in the quarterfinals. But Millman scuttled that showdown by stunning the 20-time Grand Slam champ in four sets in the fourth round on a hot and humid evening that Federer said sapped his energy and made it hard to breathe.

This night was cooler, as the temperature dipped into the 70s, but the humidity was above 80 percent, so with Millman drenched, he sought permission for a wardrobe change at 2-all in the second set. It was odd enough to see a player be allowed to do that during, instead of after, a set, but even odder for it to happen after an even number of games, rather than at an odd-game changeover.

“I was struggling. He was struggling. We were all sweating. Changing a lot of T-shirts, shorts,” said Djokovic, who will face 2014 US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori on Friday (Saturday Manila time). “Just trying to find a way to hang in there.”

When Millman apologized for leaving the court at that juncture, Djokovic replied, “I’m fine to have a little rest,” then sat down on his sideline bench without a shirt on and cooled off.

“Definitely not easy conditions to play in,” Djokovic said, “but same for both players.”

Widely considered the best returner in the game, he kept accumulating chances — and then failing to cash them in. Djokovic was able to only come through on four of his 20 break points.

There were other issues for him, too, including in the third set when, ahead by a break, he was called by the chair umpire for allowing the 25-second serve clock, making its Grand Slam debut at this tournament, run out on back-to-back points. After the first, he double-faulted, and he wound up getting broken there.

But he broke back in the match’s next-to-last game, then served out the victory at love.

Earlier Wednesday (Thursday Manila time), Nishikori defeated the man he lost to in the final four years ago, Marin Cilic, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4. Add that to No. 20 Naomi Osaka’s 6-1, 6-1 win over unseeded Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, and Osaka and Nishikori give Japan semifinalists in both men’s and women’s singles at the same Grand Slam tournament for the first time in tennis history.

“It’s great to see,” said Nishikori, who is into his third major semifinal — all in New York — but is still in search of his initial Slam trophy.

For Osaka, who is 20, this is her first trip past the fourth round at a major. She purported to be “freaking out inside,” even if it certainly never showed.

She’ll face No. 14 Madison Keys of the US on Thursday night. Serena Williams plays No. 19 Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia in the other semifinal.

Keys was one of four American women in the final four a year ago, when she was the runner-up to Sloane Stephens.

She’s the only member of that quartet who made it back.

Still in search of her first Grand Slam title, the Keys reached her third semifinal in the past five majors by using her big-strike game built on serves and forehands to overpower No. 30 Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-4, 6-3.

Keys won all 10 of her service games, saving the only two break points she faced. One came in the last game as she served for the victory, but she erased it with a forehand winner, part of a 22-10 edge in that category.

Keys, who is 23, thinks she is more equipped than ever to deal with important moments on important stages.

“I’ve gotten a lot better managing my emotions once it gets to this part and knowing that everything is going to be probably more amped up,” she said. “And not shying away from those, but just really being honest about it and talking about it.”

source: philstar.com

Federer out of US Open after stunning loss to 55th-ranked Millman

NEW YORK — Roger Federer served poorly. Closed poorly, too. And now he's gone, beaten at the US Open by an opponent ranked outside the top 50 for the first time in his career.

Looking slow and tired on a sweltering night in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the No. 2-seeded Federer double-faulted 10 times, failed to convert a trio of set points and lost 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3) in the fourth round to John Millman in a match that began Monday and concluded at nearly 1 a.m. on Tuesday.

It's only the second time in Federer's past 14 appearances at the US Open that he's lost before the quarterfinals. He is, after all, a five-time champion at the tournament, part of his men's-record haul of 20 Grand Slam titles.

"I have so much respect for Roger and everything he's done for the game. He's been a hero of mine, and today he was definitely not at his best," Millman said, "but, you know, I'll take it."

So much for that highly anticipated matchup between Federer and 13-time major champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Instead, it'll be the 55th-ranked Millman, an Australian who had never made it past the third round at a Slam until last week, taking on No. 6 seed Djokovic.

Millman was adamant he would not be intimidated by Federer, and perhaps was helped by having spent time practicing together a few months ago ahead of the grass-court portion of this season.

Still, this was a stunner. Not simply because Federer lost — he entered the day 28-0 at the US Open, and 127-1 in all Grand Slam matches, against foes below No. 50 in the ATP rankings — but how he lost. Start with this: Federer held two set points while serving for the second at 5-4, 40-15 and did not pull through. Millman knew that was the turning point.

"I felt like a bit of a deer in headlights to begin with, to be honest with you. The feet weren't moving. Roger had me on a string. He was manipulating me around the court," Millman said.

"But I got out of a tough second set and really found my feet and started to be a little bit more aggressive."

Then Federer had a set point in the third at 6-5 in the tiebreaker, but again was stymied.

In the fourth set, he went up a break at 4-2, yelling "Come on!" and getting all of those rowdy spectators in their "RF" gear on their feet, prompting the chair umpire to repeatedly plead for silence. But Federer uncharacteristically got broken right back with a sloppy game, most egregiously when he slapped what should have been an easy putaway into the net.

And then there was his serve.

In the final tiebreaker, he double-faulted twice in a row.

The first obvious signs of trouble for Federer came far earlier, in the second game of the second set. He started that 15-minute struggle by missing 18 of his initial 20 first serves. While he eventually held there, he needed to save seven break points along the way. It was clear the 37-year-old Federer was not at his best.

Maybe the 75 percent humidity played a role. Millman's big rips on groundstrokes didn't help matters. As the unforced errors mounted — Federer would finish with 77, nearly three times as many as Millman's 28 — Federer's wife, Mirka, couldn't bear to look, placing her forehead on her hands in the guest box in the stands.

Federer hung his head at a changeover, a little black fan pointed right at his face, but nothing seemed to make him feel like himself.

Hours before, Djokovic left the court for a medical timeout — the second time during the tournament he's sought help from a doctor because of harsh weather — during what would become an otherwise straightforward 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over 68th-ranked Joao Sousa of Portugal.

"I'm not 21 anymore. That was 10 years ago. I still don't feel old. But at the same time, there is a little biological clock that is not really working in your favor," Djokovic told the crowd afterward. "Sometimes, you just have to survive."

He reached the quarterfinals for an 11th consecutive appearance in New York as he bids for a third US Open championship and 14th Grand Slam trophy.

The other quarterfinal on the bottom half of the draw will be a rematch of the 2014 US Open final: No. 7 Marin Cilic against No. 21 Kei Nishikori.

Cilic, who beat Nishikori four years ago for his only major title, was a 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-4 winner against No. 10 David Goffin, while Nishikori advanced by defeating Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.

source: philstar.com

Novak Djokovic finally leaves Cincinnati with a crown

MASON, Ohio – Novak Djokovic gave his racket to a fan and tossed his sweatbands into the stands. No need for mementos from this victory. The long-awaited Rookwood pottery trophy would be plenty.

Djokovic finally mastered the one tournament that’s eluded him, beating nemesis Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, on Sunday for his first Western & Southern Open championship.

He got the better of a nostalgic rematch – they hadn’t played in two years because of injuries – and broke through in a tournament that Federer has won seven times, never losing a title match.

“Thank you for letting me win once in Cincinnati,” he told Federer as they stood on court for the trophy presentation.

After reaching the final five times and losing every time – three to Federer – Djokovic jumped and punched the air in celebration of his breakthrough. He’s the first to claim all nine ATP Masters 1000 events since the series started in 1990, something that had become his quest after so many close calls.


“That’s what the headline should be about – this is such an amazing accomplishment,” Federer said. “He’s the first to do it. I think it’s very difficult to win Masters 1000s. These performances don’t come easy.”

Djokovic leads their all-time series 24-22, doing better in the biggest matches. He’s 3-1 against Federer in Grand Slam finals and 12-6 overall in championship matches, including wins at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2015.

Djokovic completed a long comeback from elbow problems by winning his fourth Wimbledon title last month, then set out to get his hard-court game in order for the US Open. He got better as the rainy week went on in Cincinnati, playing his best at the end.             

“This seems to be a bit unreal, to be honest, to be back at this level,” he said.

source: philstar.com

Djoko, Federer seal another title clash

MASON, Ohio – Novak Djokovic is again so close to the one title that eludes him. And the same nemesis is standing in his way, all over again.

It’s a moment in time: Djokovic vs Federer for a title.

Djokovic closed in on a Western & Southern Open title with his 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Marin Cilic on Saturday. Then he watched Roger Federer advance to the finals as well when David Goffin retired in the second set with a shoulder injury.

source: philstar.com

Federer chases 99th title, faces Coric in Halle final

HALLE, Germany — Defending champion Roger Federer will play 21-year-old Borna Coric in the Gerry Weber Open final as he chases his 99th career singles title on Sunday (Monday in Manila).

Federer reached his 12th final in Halle after beating qualifier Denis Kudla 7-6 (1), 7-5 on Saturday (Sunday).

Coric advanced when fourth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut retired injured after slipping in their semifinal. The Spaniard was leading 3-2 in the first set.

Federer fired 12 aces and saved six of the seven break points he faced to end Kudla’s 10-set winning streak in Halle. The American had three break points when he was leading 4-3 in the second set, but Federer fought back and finished the set with two successive aces.

“It’s good to know that I always play well when it’s needed,” Federer said.

The 25-year-old Kudla had saved 20 of 21 break points on his way to the semifinals at the grass-court tournament.

Federer, who saved two match points against Benoit Paire in the second round on Thursday, is going for a record-extending 10th title in Halle. It will be his second final in as many weeks.

The Swiss great, who won his 18th grass-court title in Stuttgart on Sunday, is just two match wins away from matching Jimmy Connors’ all-time record of 174 victories on grass.

“It’s a good warmup. I’m on a run,” said Federer, who wasn’t entirely satisfied after committing some simple mistakes. “Perhaps I’m missing the training. I’m playing a lot of matches at the moment.”

After skipping the entire clay-court season for the second year in a row, Federer extended his grass-court winning streak to 20 matches, including Stuttgart and last year’s titles in Halle and Wimbledon. The revitalized 36-year-old only had a longer streak on the surface once before, when he won 65 consecutive matches on grass between 2003 and 2008.

source: philstar.com

Novak Djokovic tops Roger Federer to win US Open

Novak Djokovic clinched his third Grand Slam title of 2015 and 10th career major with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over sentimental favorite Roger Federer in the US Open final on Sunday.

Shrugging off a three-hour rain delay and the overwhelming hostility of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, the 28-year-old world number one captured his second title in New York to add to his 2011 triumph.

The defeat shattered 34-year-old Federer’s bid to become the oldest US Open champion in 45 years and left him marooned on 17 Grand Slam titles, the last of which came at Wimbledon in 2012.

Djokovic added the US Open title to his Australian Open and Wimbledon victories this year.

Had it not been for a heartbreaking loss to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open final in June, the rock-solid Serb would have been celebrating a rare calendar Grand Slam.

Djokovic’s 10 majors takes him level with American Bill Tilden and just one shy of Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver on the all-time list.

Federer was ultimately undone by 54 unforced errors and his ability to convert just four of 23 break points.

“I have tremendous respect for Roger and the challenge he presents,” said Djokovic, who is now 21-21 in career meetings with Federer.

“He’s the best player ever. I knew I needed to play my best in order to win. It’s an incredible evening.”

He added: “I love this sport and all these achievements are incentive for me to keep on going.”

Federer insisted he would be back to try again in 2016.

“I love tennis. I’ll see you back here next year,” said the veteran.

“I’m pleased with where my game is, but playing a great champion like Novak is always difficult.”

With the likes of Robert Redford, Sean Connery and David Beckham watching, and with Eva Asderaki-Moore making history as the first woman to umpire the men’s singles final, Djokovic was dialled in from the start despite heavy rain forcing a three-hour delay and an evening start.

He forced five-time champion Federer, playing in his first US Open final in six years, to save three break points in a six-minute opening game.

The top seed held to love and then broke for 2-1 — it was just the third time in 84 service games at the tournament that the Swiss veteran had been broken.

Bloodied but unbowed

However, with the playing surface still damp from the hours of rain, the Serb suffered a worrying fall in the next game, turning over on his right ankle and bloodying his elbow.

Federer pounced to retrieve the break but the Serb was soon back in the ascendancy and Federer was broken again in the seventh game.

Federer saved a set point in the ninth, but conceded the first set with a netted backhand in the 10th game.

It ended his run of 28 consecutive sets won, a mark stretching back to July’s Wimbledon championship match, where he lost to Djokovic.

Djokovic saved five break points in an eight-minute game to go 1-1 in the second set despite Federer’s first use of his ‘SABR’ charge-and-chip ploy.

Federer then had two set points in the 10th game — surrendering one with a wild forehand with an open court at his mercy.

Djokovic held after seven deuces and 15 minutes of unbearable tension as he faced down Federer and the majority of the crowd.

The Swiss allowed another set point to slip away in the 12th game but he converted his fourth on a monster backhand to level the final.

The stadium erupted, leaving no doubt whatsoever as to the crowd’s affections.

Djokovic broke for 2-1 in the third, but unsettled by a call from the crowd during his service action he handed back the break for 2-2.

The top seed saved two break points in the eighth game before Federer suddenly lost focus and out of nowhere handed Djokovic a 5-4 lead.

Federer had two break points as he desperately clung on but Djokovic held his nerve to serve it out.

Djokovic sensed blood and broke in the opening game of the fourth set and saved a break point to lead 4-2.

The Serb broke again for 5-2, roaring at the crowd and the New York nighttime sky.

But there was still time for a twist as Federer retrieved one of the breaks when Djokovic served for the title and backed it up with a hold.

The Swiss let three more break points slip away in the 10th game before nerveless Djokovic sealed victory off a long Federer service return.

source: interaksyon.com