Multiple Winners

Coverage

2010

Davidoff Swiss Indoors

Multiple Winners

Sunday, 07 November 2010 20:33

Multiple Winners

Written by Tina van Eickels

Both the Singles and Doubles Finals of the 2010 Davidoff Swiss Indoors were rematches of last year's finals, with the top two seeds of both draws facing off for the titles. Hence the underlying question of the day - whether the2009 Runners-up, the Bryan brothers and Roger Federer, would be able to avenge their losses or not, and there would be a little bit of history repeating after all.

Six Times Ahead

In winning Saturday's semifinal match, Bob and Mike Bryan reached yet another milestone in their highly decorated career. With their win over Yen-Hsun Lu and Janko Tipsarevic, the twins clinched the No. 1 year-end doubles team ranking for a record sixth time in eight years. But, as Bob Bryan put it after that match, there was still work to be done this week and the top seeds had theirs cut out for them, taking on the World No. 2-ranked team of Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic.

The Canadian-Serbian duo entered today's final with an 8-to-5 head-to-head advantage over their American opponents, but this year they had lost two title matches to the brothers. Today, Nestor and Zimonjiv were off to a bad start again. Bryan/Bryan broke Nestor's serve in the fourth game and went on to hold their own comfortably to win the set in just 22 minutes, 6-3.

Daniel Nestor (serving) and Nenad Zimonjic are set to part ways at the end of the season

But with the beginning of the second set, the momentum of the match changed. Having been untroubled on serve before, Bob Bryan lost his first service game at 15 to go down 0-2. The Bryans looked to right the ship in the next game, getting up 15-40 on Nestor's serve. After the American duo conceded the first two break points with unforced errors, a controversial call gave the deciding point to Nestor/Zimonjic. The line judge had called a double fault, but when Zimonjic's challenge was successful, chair umpire Ali Nili awarded him the point and the game, claiming the call came after Bob netted the return. The Bryans vehemently disagreed and spent the changeover discussing the decision, but to no avail. The set went on without either team facing another break point and Zimonjic served it out to love.

The Bryan brothers try to appeal a call

Yet Nestor/Zimonjic's hopes to defend their title were short-lived. The Bryan brothers raced to a 7-1 lead in the match tiebreak and, at 9-3, converted their first match point to win their 11th title of the year.

Four Times a Champion

The highly anticipated Singles Final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic didn't quite live up to its billing. Both players started out cold on their serves, facing double break points in their opening service games. In the third game, Djokovic squandered two game points before conceding the break to Federer with two unforced errors.

Novak Djokovic awaits the start of the Final

Despite a low first serve percentage, Federer held his next three service games. Serving for the set, however, he found himself down break point. But in this instance, his first serve held up, as he hit an ace down the middle to bring the game to deuce and took the set with an unreturned serve into the Serb's body.

Federer didn't manage to take any momentum from winning the first set and only won one point in the next three games. The Swiss managed to win only 33% of the points on his second serve in this set. He especially had trouble finishing off points at the net, allowing the Serb plenty of chances to capitalize on his great defense. At 5-3, serving to his opponent's backhand also paid off well for Djokovic, as Federer's return on both break- and set point failed to make it over the net.

Djokovic, by his own accounts, lost his balance and his focus in a rather anti-climatic third set. The World No. 3 was lucky to hold his opening service game, when Federer missed a couple of must-win points at the net. But serving at 1-2, Djokovic missed a backhand to set up break point. As he went into his service motion, a male voice from the stands called out "Game, Federer," forcing him to stop and re-start. It was a singular transgression by the crowd which had been firmly in Federer's corner all week, but up to and after this point had been fair to his opponents, as well. Yet it was a significant one, as Djokovic promptly double-faulted to give Federer the break.

Djokovic's game stayed erratic throughout the set, while Federer started to return better. Up 4-1, Federer had three more break points. Djokovic saved the first two, but, on the third, a long backhand slice by Federer drew an error. By then, the Swiss had overcome his serving woes from the second set and comfortably served out the match to take the title 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

Djokovic is now 18-13 in ATP World Tour finals

As always here in Basel, it was an emotional week for Federer, who now joins the Bryans as Four –Time Davidoff Swiss Indoors Champion. How much his home tournament means to the World No. 2 became evident when he confessed after the match, "After I got the break for 5-1 [in the third], I almost teared up. It was a bit like before my win at the French Open." In turn, the tournament President Roger Brennwald knows what he owes his star, too. "When you got to the top of the tennis world, you also raised up our tournament right along," Brennwald told Federer during the trophy ceremony.

Roger Federer showing off his trophy to the media

More photos from the Finals in Basel

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Photographer: Tina van Eickels

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